


Invisible Bars

by Kereea



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, captured AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2020-10-19 09:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 38,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20655224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kereea/pseuds/Kereea
Summary: Inspired by the Captured-AU of msbluebell of tumblr: During the timeskip, Byleth was held captive by the Black Eagles in Enbarr, who woke her two years early in order to try and convince her to their side. Barely in time for the five-year meeting she escaped and rushed across the continent to the monastery…but two years in a gilded cage leaves its mark. And even someone as messed up as Dimitri can see that.





	1. Chapter 1

She staggered into the monastery. So far, the bandits she’d been warned of didn’t seem to be a living threat, though she’d noticed a few dead ones in the bushes on the way...

Hopefully, whatever killed them wouldn’t notice her. Or, perhaps, she could barely hope, was some sort of ally.

Her last ally was Bernadetta, slipping her hope of her Blue Lion’s survival and tiny weapons concealed in books, all while pretending to be convincing her to Edelgard’s side. Stuffing fabric and rags under her layers to bring to Byleth to make into a sort of gambeson, smuggling in her teacher’s sword shortly before the breakout. She’d been quietly helping the Lion’s rebellion against someone named Cornelia, she told her, a woman who had taken over the land that should have been Dimitri’s and-

Dimitri. Dimitri, Bernadetta had little information on. He was supposed to have been executed, but Bernadetta’s sources told her and he told her that it was untrue, that the prince had escaped. Somehow. But no one could find him, only rumors and more rumors.

Byleth knew Annette was all right, she and Felix had been helping Bernadetta’s spies—mostly children caught up in this senseless war, sadly—get their information to Lord Rodrigue. And if Lord Rodrigue couldn’t find Dimitri, and there was no news on Dedue doing it…then probably no one would.

A month ago, Byleth had been smuggled a map. The best routes back to the monastery. All of it was through enemy territory, but there were spy outposts, allegedly. She hadn’t been able to get to any on her way, too hounded. She had stolen two horses that she eventually released when they couldn’t run anymore. She’d slept in the saddle, sometimes.

Now she was here…and as she entered the chapel, she saw she was not alone.

She paused. There was someone already here. Someone with a lance that they clutched as if not sure how to let it go. Tangled blond hair parted as their head raised, a single blue eye piercing her. It couldn’t be…but it was.

“I should have known…” Dimitri rasped, voice rougher and lower than she remembered. “That one day you’d be haunting me as well…”

Byleth stepped forward, shocked but still eager to see someone, anyone she’d missed. She held out her hand to help him stand. He ignored it.

“I’m not a ghost,” she said.

Dimitri continued to stare at her with that strange, alien gaze.

“Dimitri…I’m here,” she said, not knowing what else she could say. “It’s me.”

“You play an interesting game,” Dimitri mused, standing. To Byleth’s surprise he was no longer just slighter taller than her, no, now he towered. “Are you a spy, hoping to slay me by coming with her face?”

Byleth glared at him, stepping back and brandishing the Sword of the Creator. “Could a spy hold this?”

“Then you are a ghost.”

“I am not.” She held out her hand again.

“Then where _were_ you?” Dimitri asked, a hint of desperate mania entering his voice.

“Imprisoned. In Enbarr.”

He didn’t take her hand but her wrist, pulling her close with a sharp jerk as he demanded, “_What_?”

“I was locked up. For years.” Just the grip on her wrist was frightening, even ignoring Dimitri’s strength the knowledge that someone had her and she couldn’t get out of it, that his leaning over her felt like walls closing-

He let go, whether because he noticed her distress or because of something else, Byleth wasn’t sure. But for some reason, he seemed…not comforted, but perhaps reassured, leaning back a bit.

“…We agreed. To meet here. So here I came,” Byleth said. “I’ve spent the last month running.”

“Try the last five years,” Dimitri scoffed.

“…I…did not receive much accurate information while imprisoned,” Byleth said. “They framed you, didn’t they?”

“For my uncle, yes,” Dimitri spat.

“How did you escape?” Byleth asked. She’d had help, had Dimitri as well?

“Dedue. He died,” Dimitri said, sinking back against the wall.

“No.”

“Oh, yes,” Dimitri said, smiling coldly. “Even though I begged him not to. Pity. You could likely have better help from a stalwart knight than a monster.”

Byleth sat next to him, shocked. “Dedue…” He was the sort to be loyal to the end…she closed her eyes. She’d hoped all her lions were all right…and they were not.

“…You’re wet,” Dimitri observed.

“I threw myself off an outcrop and into a river to get away from the last party sent after me. A farmer fished me out. I came here,” Byleth said, pinching her makeshift gambeson. Given how mixed the padding was—scraps of whatever Bernadetta could smuggle in, including at least two bundles of horsehair—she wondered if it would every truly dry out.

He made a noise that indicated that he believed it, or maybe that he was merely satisfied with the answer. Or just didn’t want to talk further. This new Dimitri was harder to read.

“I’m glad you really are alive.” Even if he was calling himself a monster.

Dimitri snorted. “I’m not.”

Well. That was…concerning. Even more so than the monster business. Not that she felt very alive herself right now.

“We’ll…deal with it later,” Byleth sighed. For now, she had an ally. Perhaps now…she could rest.

.o.o.o.

The sun was low when she opened her eyes again. Dimitri sat a short distance away, tending to his lance. Byleth noted it was at least in a better state than the rest of him.

“I was going to clear out the rats in the valleys around here,” Dimitri said when he noticed she was awake. “But someone’s coming.”

“Who?”

“Enemies.”

Very helpful.

“Did they fly banners? Or just bandits?” Byleth asked, pushing herself to her feet.

“You can hear them from the bridge,” Dimitri said, not looking at her, but following her when she went to the opening. “They’ve been searching the buildings.”

“Damn it,” Blyeth said, recognizing the voices, the orders to search. The imperial soldiers, again.

She must have made some sort of expression of fear, because Dimitri grabbed her chin and turn her to face him, suddenly looking much more focused.

“Anyone who causes you to look like that must die,” he declared curtly, striding towards the bridge with an iron grip on his lance.

“…May as well start there,” Byleth decided, joining him. 

“How many?” Dimitri asked.

“Less than a dozen, last I saw,” Byleth said. “No archers.”

“They must have picked up rats,” Dimitri commented as they reached the courtyard to see a moderately large group of men, not all in uniforms, searching the old classrooms. “No matter.”

He went to step forward, but Byleth stopped him. He flinched when her hand fell on his arm to do so, but she pressed on.

“We can kill them more easily by forcing them to funnel onto the bridge, back towards the church,” she explained. “Both of our weapons have the reach to handle that, and it will prevent us from becoming surrounded.”

They had to avoid that at all costs. Neither of them had shields, and she didn’t know how strong Dimitri’s worn-looking armor was. With only two, they had to prevent it.

“They’ll all still die,” she added, and was saddened how that was what worked, what drew a nod.

The plan went out the window when they were spotted and several enemies charged before they could back up. Dimitri met them at once, a hard sweep sending the lot of the first wave tumbling. Byleth forewent her sword to start, instead blasting the stumbling opponents with magic while they were off their guards.

Dimitri jumped back as a large man with an axe tried to pounce on him and Byleth swung her sword into its bladed whip form, slicing through the axe’s handle and leaving the man defenseless when Dimitri’s lance rammed through his gut.

Dimitri seemed to be breathing heavily, but he hadn’t been hit yet. This must have been the ‘monster’ he referenced, the ‘wild beast’ Felix had claimed to have met on the field so many years ago.

The madness from when the Flame Emperor’s mask fell.

The courtyard was a poor choice for a skirmish. They were quickly flanked, opponents trying to push them apart. A hooded woman clashed swords with Byleth, and they both disarmed the other, weapons sent flying with the force.

The woman tried to wrestle Byleth to the ground, only to scream as Dimitri sent her flying with a well-placed kick that drew a sickening crunch. The woman did not get up.

“We need to retreat,” Byleth said, staggering up and drawing a backup blade to use until she could get the Sword of the Creator back. “We’ll have better defenses inside…”

“They’ve already cut us off!” Dimtiri barked. “We need to kill them!”

He only managed to kill one more before being run through, screaming in rage and practically running up the sword through his stomach to snap the attacker’s neck-

Byleth used Divine Pulse, going back. No this, not like this. She couldn’t lose him after getting him again-

“They must have picked up rats,” Dimitri commented as they reached the courtyard to see a moderately large group of men, not all in uniforms. “No matter.”

“We’ll have to make sure we aren’t surrounded,” Byleth said, recalling how things went the last time. Too far from the bridge and they were lost. “Dimitri, they have the numbers. We have to be careful.”

But she’d known that the first time, and it still hadn’t saved them…Dimitri was only half listening anyway as they were spotted and rushed at once again.

Byleth could only change her own tactics. This time she acted more as a support than as an extra attacker, using magic to take out anyone trying to strike her and Dimitri from a distance while also healing Dimitri while he handled the close quarters fighting. Her sword only came out to block or follow up the lance.

Keeping herself back seemed to keep Dimitri back as well, presumably following his intent to stop her from being taken. They were able to keep moving backwards towards the bridge, forming a rhythm of letting opponents throw themselves against Dimitri and his lance, with Byleth using magic to blast or heal as necessary.

“They don’t seem to have flyers,” she noted as they reached the bridge, sapping life from the man in front of Dimitri with _Nosferatu_. The swordswoman was the newest opponent, Dimitri knocking her clean off the bridge before she could even try to engage Byleth.

Dimitri didn’t react to the information, just attacking whoever was foolish to try and step in front of him. When the attackers’ numbers were whittled down they went to flee,and Byleth saw the look in Dimitri’s eye, realizing he’d give chase. He only took a step forward before she realized she’d have to stop him.

She grabbed his cloak, yanking him back, “They’re trying to lure you!”

The lance was at her throat. Dimitri seemed as startled as she was, and they stared for a moment.

“Don’t do that,” he snarled, yanking the fabric from her hand as he turned away. “…They’ll bring more.”

“They will. We should fortify the church itself. The bridge provides protection,” Byleth said.

“Or kill them before they escape!”

“They already have,” Byleth said. “Come. We should take up the weapons from the dead. We need all we can find.”

.o.o.o.

_She stopped you. They’d all be dead if she-_

_ You almost ran her through, **monster**-_

_ Just an animal holed up in a den, when will you fetch us her head?_

Dimitri shook his head, trying to block out the voices.

“Are you all right?”

He looked at Byleth. He didn’t have an answer, going back to making sure his weapon was ready for the next fight.

He needed to keep her from the Empire. That woman wanted her, but would never get her. No, all _she’d_ get was her head ripped from her-

A loud thud startled him. Byleth had moved during his musings, pushing some of the rear pews towards the doors.

“In case we need a barricade,” she explained. “Or cover.”

He scoffed. “Killing them is the only thing that works.”

He didn’t understand the look in her eyes.

“Still, we need security to rest,” she said. “We’ll strike in the early morning, try and take their camp. They’ll need to rest after today too. We’ll stop them from sending word out.”

“I don’t need anything but their blood.”

“You will rest,” she said sternly. Dimitri glared at her.

“There is no rest for the dead.”

“Then it is fortunate you are not among them yet.”

He laughed. “If that is what you wish to think.”

_Poor girl, thinks she’s still talking to a prince-_

_ Worthless, this whole thing is worthless, you should be on your way to Enbarr-_

_ Why are you not avenged us?_

He had always been among the dead. He just hadn’t known it. Sooner or later, she’d see it too.

.o.o.o.

Byleth groaned, sitting up. She’d fallen asleep on the floor, having laid down to try and keep an eye on Dimitri and rest at the same time. He’d at least sat down before she’d nodded off…

She smelled smoke.

Dimitri had what looked like the remains of a bird on a spare lance over a fire.

Oh. Right. Food.

Food was certainly…something she’d forgotten about for at least a day. 

Food was hard to think about when you were running as hard and fast as you could across a continent. Thankfully lean times with her father had made her a good hunter and gatherer, even on the run…

Byleth walked over to the fire. Dimitri’s eye flicked to her and then back to the bird. “We should go kill the rats today.”

She assumed he meant the remaining bandits and soldiers. “We should. If they send messengers out, it could be bad.”

Dimitri snorted, “They deserve death.”

Byleth didn’t feel like arguing about whether death was a thing people deserved and simple pulled the bird off the fire before it burned, sparing a small thought for the look on Seteth’s face of them cooking a bird over a fire on the chapel floor. “Do you know where to find them?”

She drew her dagger and tried to ignore how warily Dimitri watched it while she cleaned the bits of the bird he’d missed and then portioned the meat in half. Dimitri tore into his portion, not that she ate hers much more slowly.

“Is the pond still a good enough water source?” she asked. Dimitri nodded. “Good. I’ll need a drink before we set out.”

“Prepare yourself then,” Dimitri said, grabbing the lance he used to fight. “We have work to do.”

.o.o.o.

The bandits must have been spread out. She and Dimitri took a small camp, but it only held three men. Setting off into the forest led to another fight, and Byleth was forced once more to fall back on magic as Dimitri rushed forward recklessly, using her own positioning to control his.

They had to conserve energy if they were going to be searching the whole of the woods to deal with the hunting party. This was only their second fight, and yet Dimitri was throwing so much into it…

“Down!” Byleth warned as one man backed up, clearly aiming to throw his axe at Dimitri while Dimitri was distracted by another. Dimitri at least got enough out of her way for her to blast the man backwards. Not enough to kill him, but he dropped the trowing axe.

Byleth’s ears pricked at shouting. Reinforcements? She barely dared hope it was for her and Dimitri, but then-

“Teach!” Sylvain.

“Where are you, you stupid boar?” And…Felix? Felix.

Their opponents were immolated as Sylvain’s horse charged into the clearing, Felix leaping off the back and drawing his sword, looking around and clearly disappointed Sylvain had finished things before he got to.

“I told you to stop using fireballs while riding. It scares the horse,” Felix snapped before looking at Dimitri and Byleth. “Professor…and boar. You look…terrible.”

“Thank you, Felix,” Byleth said. She actually hadn’t seen a mirror in a while, and the pond had not cooperated.

“Bernie said where to find you,” Sylvain said, scanning around the clearing.

“Is she all right?” Byleth asked.

“Yeah. Took a bad hit to the leg, though, Mercedes told her to stay off it. She’s riding behind Ingrid,” Sylvain said.

“She made it out all right,” Byleth sighed in relief. She shot Dimitri a look. “She’s not an enemy. She helped me escape.”

“If she’s against that woman, I have no quarrel with her,” Dimitri said.

“What the hell is up with him?” Felix whispered.

“Leave it,” Byleth said. “We have a fight to deal with first.”

“…As you say, professor,” Felix huffed, sheathing his sword in exchange for his bow. “Gilbert’s group is clearing out their camp, we found it a half mile off.”

“Who came?” Byleth asked as they set out.

“Who else? Everyone,” Sylvain said, smiling.

.o.o.o.

“Bernadetta!” Byleth said as soon as she set eyes on her confidant after the battle. “You’re really okay!”

“And now she calls me a liar,” Felix complained halfheartedly as Byleth and Bernadetta briefly embraced as the sniper slid off the back of Ingrid’s pegasus.

“No love for your warlocks?” Annette teased before Byleth graced her and Lythisea with quick hugs as well.

“We should get inside before night falls,” Gilbert said, herding the class towards the monastery gate. “Any reunions can take place inside Gareg Mach, surely.”

Byleth noted how Felix nonchalantly offered his arm to Bernadetta on the way in, letting her lean on him to keep weight off her injured leg. Cyril popped up on Bernie’s other side, suggesting she learn to use a wyvern so she didn’t have to run around so much while her leg healed.

“That’s not a bad idea…” Bernadetta mused as they headed upstairs to the library, Cyril and Felix half-carrying her up the steps. Sylvain and Ashe pushed tables together as the reunion continued.

“So, what would you do if you couldn’t get out in time?” Ashe asked Byleth.

“Yeah, what was the plan if you couldn’t make it?” Sylvain asked Byleth.

“W-well, if the professor couldn’t escape in time, our plan was going to be to present Annette and Lysithea as defectors, you know, on the Empire’s side because…reasons,” Bernadetta said. “Annette would have a bunch of false but plausible information on Kingdom rebels and, and the same for Lysithea and the Alliance. Then they’d, and I’d, I’d go to, we’d help the professor escape. Probably by blowing up part of the palace.”

Gilbert gazed at Annette, wide-eyed. His daughter shrugged. “If it came to it.”

“I…really like the idea of blowing up that tower,” Byleth admitted, grinning softly.

“Yeah. That’s what Bernie said you’d think of the plan,” Lysithea said, smirking. “But we’d have met here first, and so the army would be waiting for us to escape to them.”

“Good plan,” Sylvain said, heading for the door.

Suddenly the room was much too small, the walls far too solid, the lack of windows crushing-

“Please don’t shut the door,” Byleth said quickly.

Perhaps unused to hearing that strain in his teacher’s voice, Sylvain attempted to comply by viciously shoving the door open—which caused it to rebound off the wall and nearly shut again before Felix caught it, sighed at his friend, and _gently_ opened it all the way.

“I’ll watch for anyone who may have followed us,” Felix offered, leaning in the doorway in a manner that left it fairly open.

“Ah. Yes,” Gilbert said slowly. “I, ah…see.”

“I can open the windows on the library’s upper level,” Ingrid offered after Bernadetta rather obviously flicked her eyes up at it a few times. At a sharp nod from Byleth, she hurried up the steps.

“How long were you imprisoned? All five years?” Mercedes asked her.

“I was only awake for two of them,” Byleth said. “I was in some sort of…magical healing trance. Allegedly the Empire’s healers sped it up.”

Mercedes shook her head, “I'm sorry, but I can’t trust that. You’ll need an exam, you and Dimitri both.”

“I don’t need something like that,” Dimitri scoffed. “I only need that woman’s head.”

“Well you won’t get it if you let yourself fall apart,” Felix shot back. “Have _some_ sense, boar.”

“He’s right, Dimitri. If you want her head you’ll need to be in the shape to take it,” Gilbert agreed. “And to get to her in the first place.”

Dimitri growled before looking away, disinterested. Several people glanced at each other, looking worried, and Byleth didn’t blame them.

“So…guess we hole up in the dorms for now? They looked…mostly okay?” Annette suggested 

“…I’d rather stay in the church,” Byleth said. “More open.”

“I’ll meet you both down there, then,” Mercedes said, nodding at Dimitri. Byleth nodded back, getting the message, and waved for Dimitri to follow her out.

After they left, Felix shut the door. “Well…they’re not all right.”

“Noted,” Gilbert said. “Dimitri’s been on the run for five years and the professor…captivity was not kind.”

“I’ll give them a once-over. At least then we’ll know how to help them physically,” Mercedes said.

“We need to fortify the monastery…without upsetting Byleth,” Ingrid said.

“Fortifications keep people out, not in. Teach’ll be fine,” Sylvain said, before looking hesitant. “Right?”

“We’ll have to just do our best,” Gilbert said. “Right now, it’s all we can do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is inspired by msbluebell’s awesome prompt (check out her tumblr, it is a fountain of inspiration and neat stuff), and also in a universe where Lysithea and Bernadetta were both recruited. Bernie will explain more on her end next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Byleth sighed as she sank down onto a pew. That had been harder than she would have liked.

How long had she waited to see her Lions again? How long had she hoped to talk to them, touch them, know they were safe? And now a room with them was suffocating.

She had never been with so many people during her imprisonment, only one or two visitors or guards at a time—more often the Black Eagles, leaning on their past connections to stop her from attacking them as she had tried with the guards she _didn’t_ know. It had taken her ages just to trust Bernadetta again, wondering what her recruit was doing back in the Empire at all and refusing to listen for months.

It didn’t help that the library’s windows were all on the upper level, making it like the tower. A solid room with no escape. Except…she’d escaped, escaped the tower and left the library utterly unscathed. The people in there would never have locked her away.

After about an hour everyone but Cyril came downstairs and dispersed. If Byleth had to wager, Cyril was already trying to tidy Rhea’s room on the third floor. Some things didn’t change.

Dimitri stood by the pile of rubble that obscured the statue of the Goddess. Byleth was rather glad not to have to look at it, it had always hurt seeing it after losing Sothis. Whatever Dimitri felt, she couldn’t tell. He did not speak, only occasionally shook his head or gestured.

“Hello, I hope you weren’t waiting too long!”

Mercedes came in, all smiles and cheer with her arms full of bedding that must have been brought by the troops who came with her and the other Blue Lions. She set most of it down but spread one sheet out on a pew and gestured for Dimitri to sit down. He growled at her. Byleth made the decision to go first and sat instead, trying to settle enough so Mercedes could give her a proper check-up.

“You need clean clothes and food more than anything,” Mercedes said, fishing a tunic out of the bedding pile. “Dimitri, can you watch the doors for us so we don’t have to close them?”

Dimitri made a moderately agreeable noise, turning away to look at the main doors and the ones on the left side. He made sure not to have Byleth in his line of sight, even the peripheral.

“Is it okay if I hold up a sheet? It’s just me, you _know_ you could get past me,” Mercedes said.

Byleth was warmed by how careful her friend was being. “That should work.”

Mercedes lifted the sheet so it was between Byleth and the final doorway, and Byleth quickly changed into the new tunic and undergarments. It was reassuring, she had to admit, knowing the barrier was one that could be easily overpowered.

“He probably won’t take off his armor,” she told Mercedes quietly as the sheet was put away.

“I guessed. Well. He’s maintained it himself this long…” Mercedes sighed. “But I’m taking that cloak!”

Her sudden, loud declaration made Dimitri start and he whirled on her with a glare. Mercedes held her ground.

“It needs to be cleaned. Unless you want the Empire’s soldiers to _smell_ you coming, and any wound it brushes to become instantly infected by whatever dreadful mess you have caked in it,” Mercedes said sternly. Byleth stared in surprise. Where had Mercedes learned to be so—oh. Right. War. “You can keep the armor. I’ll bring the cloak back.”

Dimitri scowled, undoing the cloak’s clasps and letting it fall to the floor as he walked away from it, looking out a window instead at either of them.

“Good enough,” Mercedes said, shaking her head. She glanced at Byleth, “Tell me if you notice any injuries, will you? Other than the, erm…obvious.”

She gestured at her eye, and Byleth nodded. They both knew Dimitri was nowhere near letting anyone close to that.

“I’ll have food sent up,” Mercedes said. “And you both _will_ eat, even if it tastes like nothing at all. You’re too thin.”

Dimitri scoffed. Byleth privately agreed. She hadn’t eaten well in a while, and it had left her without much of an appetite at all.

“We ate this morning,” Byleth said instead.

“And you were in a battle this afternoon,” Mercedes countered calmly, heading for the doors. “I’ll bring something.”

“She’s…sterner, than she was,” Byleth commented.

Dimitri shrugged, turning back to the rubble.

“…Are you glad to see our friends again?” Byleth tried.

“I have little use for friends,” Dimitri said.

Byleth sat back down on the pew, glancing to the room of the saints’ statues. She wondered if Flayn and Seteth were okay.

They stayed in silence, even as Lysithia brought in bread and commanded them to eat it. Dimitri had snarled at her too, but Lysithia was as strong-willed as ever and snapped that “without the energy gained from the colories within this food, you won’t be able to take on Edelgard!” before storming out.

Byleth noted that this did at least get Dimitri to tear off some of the bread, as she took her own portion. She stayed seated, Dimitri slightly looming over her due to being close enough to share the food.

“So. You spent two years jailed. They were ready to kill _me_ within a day,” Dimitri commented.

“They wanted me alive,” Byleth said. “Ede-” she paused upon seeing the look on Dimitri’s face, “-_she_ seemed to think I was very important to their plans.”

“Why?” Dimitri demanded.

“Probably because I was experimented on, like she says she was. It’s why there’s nothing here,” Byleth said, tugging Dimiti’s hand towards her chest before belatedly realizing he had gloves on and might not notice.

He noticed, starting slightly. “No heartbeat. You…you have no heartbeat?”

“An experiment from Rhea, a magical stone on my heart. She wanted me to be a vessel for a goddess, _the_ Goddess. Sothis. But Sothis saved me instead, and then…this,” Byleth said, gesturing to her hair and eyes. “I used to hear her. Sothis. She’d help me. I…I really missed her in that cell.”

Dimitri laughed coldly. “Of course you managed to have a ghost worth missing.”

Byleth cringed at how easily she’d forgotten. “I’m sorry.”

“…No. You lost a friend. I should not have said such things,” Dimitri muttered, probably thinking of Dedue. “So. Sothis…vanished after saving you?”

“Yes. I think…Sothis gave me power, but couldn’t stay after she did,” Byleth mused.

“And _she_ wanted that power.”

“It seems.”

“She will never have it. Or you.”

The finality in the statement was rather touching. It gave Byleth hope that Dimitri was still in there, under all the pain and rage. “Thank you, Dimitri.”

“I do not need your thanks.”

Of course not. Byleth shook her head, deciding she might as well get to that resting Mercedes had ordered.

“Let’s see…” Byleth mused, looking around. Some of the pews towards the back were broken or had been shoved against the door by her earlier barricade attempts, so it took little shifting to clear a space to spread out the blankets, Dimitri helping halfheartedly after a few moments of watching. She checked and was pleased to see that the spaces under the pews gave her a decent view of the room and its exits while lying down.

“Would you mind sitting here? Until I’m asleep?” Byleth asked.

Dimitri shrugged, but sat all the same. He didn’t seem to be entirely with her anymore, staring at something she couldn’t see a few feet off from the alter. Waiting.

Something told her that soon enough, she’d know what he was waiting for, but her tiredness claimed her before she could find out.

.o.o.o.

“I’m telling you, it was awful,” Bernadetta said, poking at her dinner. “Professor locked up like that…I think she was going nuts in there. And…and it made me think, I _like_ being alone in safe rooms, and even _I_ wouldn’t like that, so what was it doing to her?”

“Making her afraid of closed off spaces, clearly,” Felix said.

“We have to tell Lord Rodrigue that we found Dimitri,” Annette said.

“Did we? Or some broken beast?” Felix scoffed. “The professor needs help, but the boar seems like he’s beyond it.”

“Don’t talk like that, Felix,” Mercedes scolded. “If you can have sympathy for the professor’s state after confinement, you can have some for Dimitri’s state from being on the run.”

Felix scowled, stabbing at his food. “Fine. But don’t think I won’t treat him as the liability he is.”

“We wouldn’t expect less, believe me,” Sylvain sighed. “So, Bernie, I can’t believe gals like Petra or Dorathea would ever go along with that crazy tower scheme.”

“I…I can’t explain Dorathea,” Bernadetta said. “But…but Petra only went along until the professor woke up. When it became clear Byleth was a prisoner…she left. Brigid rebelled a year later.”

“Whoa. Go Petra!” Ashe said, beaming.

“She could have at least smuggled Byleth out first,” Felix complained.

“Felix, you’re a jerk when you’re tired, go to bed,” Ingrid said.

.o.o.o.

Byleth jerked, startled awake by a voice. It took a terrifying moment to recall where she was, but the sight lines from under the pews, confirmed with a quick floor-level check, made it clear she was home at the monastery.

“I know, please, I know!”

Dimitri.

Byleth sat up and spotted him pacing in front of the alter, talking to specters she couldn’t see. She got to her feet, hopping out of the blanket-nest and into the main aisle to approach the alter. She went unnoticed in her approach, Dimitri too absorbed in his pleading.

Byleth paused as she passed the front row of seats—what could she do, really? Startling him was clearly a bad idea, yet there was no way to _gently_ snap someone out of such a state…

The choice was taken out of her hands when a still-pacing Dimitri turned and saw her. His strained expression fell blank, shut behind a wall. “Byleth.”

“Are you…did you rest?” she corrected. They both knew he wasn’t all right by any means.

“As much as I’m allowed,” Dimitri muttered. A hint of anxiety flickered across his face before quickly being smothered. “You should sleep.”

“Come to bed,” Byleth requested.

The request would have scandalized who the man in front of her once was, but it only drew a forlorn sigh now as Dimitri gazed one more at something she could not see.

“Please,” she added.

“If…it would bring you…peace,” Dimitri conceded. He followed her back to the blankets, sitting beside her.

“Do you mind?” Byleth asked. He stared at her, confused. She inched sideways until they touched, making him start slightly.

“Do you mind?” she repeated.

Dimitri seemed to think on it. “My armor can’t make that comfortable.”

“It’s you.” She tugged a blanket over their laps.

Dimitri scoffed. “Then you have poor instincts.”

“They brought me here.”

“…So they did,” he conceded.

Byleth leaned on him, smiling as an arm hesitantly wrapped around her waist. She’d trapped him now. At least if he was still, he’d get more rest than he would pacing all over. And his presence was a comfort, truly.

She could only hope hers was the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byleth's outfit for the next while is going to look like her Myrmidon gear does, and she'll be using borrowed clothes and armor for a bit until she gets her own. 
> 
> Petra siding with the Black Eagles without active support-work from Byleth really confuses me. Hell, in routes where she does go against the Empire, she'll confess that smashing it had been a dream of hers. So, yeah, her ditching makes a ton of sense. Brigid wants freedom, after all. 
> 
> Mercedes has found her inner stern nurse over the years of war. She prefers to be sweet, but she can in fact hold her ground, even against our fav feral prince.


	3. Chapter 3

_Two days later…_

“I’m telling you, I don’t know too much about her plans for the professor,” Bernadetta said, poking at her breakfast. “If I asked too much or visited too often too soon, Edelgard would have been suspicious. And since eventually I had to visit enough to smuggle things for an escape, I had to be careful.”

“Sheesh, between helping teach escape and punting spies to Felix’s dad, you’ve been busy,” Sylvain said.

“Mm-hm. Good news was, Dad tried to marry me to Hubert, so I never had to, you know, actually get married,” Berndaetta said.

“…I knew your dad was bad, but _sheesh_. Hubert?” Annette asked, shuddering.

Bernadetta shrugged, “I just had to keep acting terrified of him and he thought everything was normal. Then I’d go see the professor and we’d plan. Nothing to it, really.”

Sylvain smirked as Felix entered the dining hall, “Hey, Felix, guess what! Benrie’s dad tried to get her hitched to Hubert!”

Felix nearly teleported to the table, “_What_?”

“Actually…I think we _might_ be engaged? Or were, before I ran off. Hubert’s clearly only into Edelgard anyway,” Bernadetta said shaking her head.

“Do you want me to kill him?” Felix demanded, sitting down.

“Huh?” Bernadetta asked. “Which him?”

“…Well if he means Hubert, we’re probably going to have to kill him to get to Edelgard, so might as well be Felix doing it. Unless Dimitri beats him to it,” Sylvain said.

“Urgh. I might have stopped being scared of Hubert, but now Dimitri’s freaking me out,” Bernadetta said.

“I could go for taking him out too,” Felix said, ducking swats from Sylvain and Annette while Bernadetta yelled for them not to fight. “What? He’s nothing but a rabid boar now!”

“Dimitri is _our friend_ and we are dragging his behind out of moping, Felix!” Annette said sternly. “Just like we’re going to help the professor with her…issues being indoors. And other things.”

They all cringed. Byleth had tried using one of the old teacher’s rooms above the church as an office, but ended up fleeing back to the church, calling it “suffocating.” Cyril ended up setting up a workstation for her by bringing a table near the church pews instead, and hanging a map and bulletin board on a column.

Seteth and some of the Knights had arrived, which was mostly a good thing…except Byleth had panicked when Alois hugged her for too long and then Dimitri had nearly stabbed Alois and then Byleth had to disarm Dimitri and thankfully Alois was a generous man who brushed it off offered to fish with her on the nice outdoor dock instead, “reuniting without walls or hugging!”

Dimitri had loomed by the fish shack the entire time. Felix _barely_ resisted the urge to throw a fish at him, giving it to Flayn instead.

“Yeah. Yesterday was a bit…urgh,” Sylvain admitted. “Which is why today will be better! There’s more of us, we’re regrouping, and we’re totally going to take back the Kingdom!”

Felix scoffed, “Haven’t you heard? We’re heading right for Enbarr, idiot.”

“…Okay, Enbarr, then the Kingdom,” Sylvain said.

“Wait, we’re going right to Enbarr?” Annette asked.

Bernadetta shook her head, “There’s no straight route there from here, believe me, I tried to find one…but…um…does that mean we’re going south?”

Felix scoffed, “I doubt anyone knows what we’re really doing. Even the boar ordering it.”

“Well, we’re not doing anything for now, we don’t have the troops,” Sylvain reasoned. “We’ve got time to change the plans, probably a couple months while we fortify the monastery and train.”

“If you think you’ll get through to that animal, I leave you to it,” Felix said, storming out.

“…Well I will, then!” Sylvain yelled after him.

.o.o.o.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Cyril asked Byleth as she sighed.

“We’re really low on supplies. We’re going to need to organize hunting parties. And gathering. And probably a few seeking out nearby villages for things to purchase,” Byleth said, gesturing to several papers strewn over her table. “Alois can probably take a handful of people to fish the river out in the forest, so we don’t deplete the pond too soon…”

“Why don’t you go hunting professor?” Cyril asked.

“What do you mean?” Byleth asked.

“Well…it’s outside. And you like being outside. Right?” Cyril offered. “So if you go hunting…you’ll be helping, and be outside.”

Byleth smiled, “Thank you, Cyril. That’s a good idea. So, who should we send out to villages, we think?”

.o.o.o.

“Did you mean to bring the boar?” Felix complained.

“I told him where I was going, apparently he wants to help,” Byleth replied as the hunting party headed into the woods. “Don’t complain that he’s helping, please.”

“I can’t wait for Mercy to give Bernie the all-clear, her bow skills will be great on trips like this,” Ashe said, deftly changing the subject.

“Her leg’s been getting better. Hanneman’s been teaching her to ride, so she can try to become a bow knight,” Felix said.

Byleth nodded. While Bernadetta’s ankle was healing, Mercedes had warned that any more injuries to it might lead to decreased mobility for their sniper. Having a backup via horse-riding was their best bet.

“So, no field dressing-right?” Sylvain asked.

“Right,” Byleth said. “We’ll make use of every part of the animal we can get back.”

“Sinew for bowstrings, feathers for fletching, bones for weapons and soup stock,” Ashe counted off.

“Leather for armor,” Felix noted.

“Exactly!” Ashe said. “We’ll need all we can get!”

“We should start splitting into smaller groups,” Byleth said. “Fan out, see what we can find.”

“Hopefully, more than a bunch of squirrels!” Ashe joked.

.o.o.o.

“…I didn’t really think we’d get this many squirrels,” Ashe said. He and Byleth had hidden themselves behind a downed tree, and thus far had bagged two birds and a dozen squirrels as their catch for the day.

“Meat is meat, and the fur could be useful,” Byleth said.

Dimitri had wandered off. She assumed he’d be all right, he’d survived on his own in the wild this long, after all.

“Still, I’m usually a better hunter than this…hope the other groups haven’t scared away the bigger game,” Ashe sighed.

“Or Dimitri, wherever he’s gotten to,” Byleth said.

“Yeah that…too…” Ashe said, jaw dropping as Dimitri himself came into view, splattered with blood and dragging something behind him.

“Here,” he said curtly, tossing it at their feet as several startled birds too flight in the trees.

“…Huh,” Byleth said, otherwise speechless at the large boar.

“Wow. You usually get hurt fighting those things…you’re not hurt, right?” Ashe asked Dimitri.

Dimitri shrugged. “I know how to handle them.”

“That wasn’t a no,” Byleth said.

“I healed it,” Dimitri said. “…Your lessons have served me well, in that regard.”

Byleth’s eyes widened. She’d had Dimitri focus a bit in Faith magic, as her student. He’d considered trying for Holy Knight, with that and his talents in riding and lance work. He’d never gotten beyond a few simple spells, but… “I’m glad they were a help.”

“Well, at least one of us got some good meat, Byleth and I just have a ton of squirrels and two crows,” Ashe said. “I suppose we can start heading back, then?”

.o.o.o.

“Is His Highness all right?” Gilbert asked, looking worried at the returned hunting parties. “What on earth happened?”

“The boar decided to fight a wild boar,” Felix said flatly.

“…In that case, he is in fine condition,” Gilbert said. “I…am sure the cooks will make good use of the meat.”

“He’s an idiot, but at least he’s being useful,” Felix said as Byleth headed towards the bathhouse and Dimitri followed her.

“Felix, how’d it go?” Bernadetta asked as she came over, Flayn and a javelin serving as dual-supports.

“Got a wolf. Shamir was smart, went nest-raiding and grabbed eggs,” Felix said. “The boar wasn’t, and fought a boar.”

“A boar fought a…_oh_, Dimitri fought a boar,” Bernadetta said, nodding.

“Goodness! Wild boar are nothing to take lightly!” Flayn gasped. “Is he in need of medical attention?”

“Seems fine, the idiot,” Felix said. “Professor better get him to clean the blood off his armor, he’ll start to scare the civilians.”

“Wash his hair too, while she is at it!” Flayn said. “He has clearly not been taking care of it, and seemed quite offended when I offered him a comb. Felix, why does that make you laugh? Felxi, you shall tell me this instant!”

.o.o.o.

_“Don’t you see? It’s the church that’s done all of this!” Edelgard said, brandishing the book. _

_ Byleth snatched it, “_How dare_ you lecture me from my own father’s journal! How dare you steal it!”_

_ “We’re the same, used by the church!” Edelgard said._

_ “We are _not_ the same.”_

Byleth sat up, panting.

Pews. Giant ceiling hole. Rubble. Dimitri, muttering to himself.

She was in the church. She was safe.

Her hand fisted over her unbeating heart. Rhea may have done this to her, may have…have wanted her to _become_ Sothis, but Byleth was dead when she began. Was it really a crime to save an infant from death, even as an experiment?

And even if it made her something…something inhuman, that didn’t make her the same as Edelgard or Lysithia, experimented on to manipulate the magic of crests. And Lysithia wasn’t experimented on by the church, but one of Edelgard’s so-called allies, the ones Edelgard was desperate not have access to Byleth…the ones Byleth would bet quite a lot had been the ones to experiment on Edelgard.

But then why work with them? Why not reveal their evil to Rhea, and crush them together? The archbishop would surely despise such a “defiling” of the alleged holiness of crests…

“You are awake.”

She looked up. Dimitri had come closer, moonlight glinting off his recently-washed armor. “A bad dream, no cause for concern.”

“…My nightmares cause you great concern,” Dimitri noted, folding his arms.

Byleth sighed, “It was not a torment. Merely a…bad memory to think on. To consider the path forward.”

“It was about _her_.”

“Yes. She stole my father’s diary. Thought she understood what it said…” Byleth shook her head, gritting her teeth. “She wanted it to say something, so _that_ was what it told her…”

“This is how she knew of crest stone in your heart,” Dimitri surmised. “She stole the information from your father’s journal, the witch.”

“Yes,” Byleth said. She’d almost forgotten she’d told Dimitri…and how different it was, to have the information freely _shared_, rather than stolen and thrown in her face as part of an argument, as an attempt at convincing her of something… “Do you think it strange?”

“Hm?” Dimitri asked.

“That my heart doesn’t beat.”

“It may not, but it is still clearly too soft for your own good,” Dimitri scoffed.

“I remember when I first read my father’s words…I felt like a monster.”

Dimitri’s head snapped sideways to stare at her, his eye wide and incredulous. His mouth opened, and then closed, seemingly unable to form words.

Ah, yes. Dimitri thought himself a monster, did he not?

“…Ridiculous,” Dimitri ultimately dismissed.

“I have killed many, Dimitri. I have even been called a demon,” Byleth said. “I slaughtered over a dozen just on my way out of Enbarr. Men and women who never had a chance against me.”

“As you should have.”

Byleth shook her head, resigned to not understanding Dimitri’s logic that she was justified while he was not. That somehow, something about him was more monstrous than a goddess-vessel without a heartbeat, who has easily killed as many as he, and likely at a younger age.

“You should sleep,” she said instead.

“I do not need it.”

“Dimitri…”

“I will be fine. Rest,” Dimitri said, turning on his heel and heading back to the front of the church and his ghosts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The knights showed up sooner in my version because Flayn told Seteth of the plans to meet in five years. Alois is determined to help Byleth...and has no clue what he's doing. At all.


	4. Chapter 4

Byleth knocked her opponent to the floor and held her sword at his throat. Felix laughed.

“Well, good to see you’re not _that_ rusty,” the swordsman teased as Byleth helped him up.

“I did my best to maintain,” Byleth said. “Though I’ll admit, it was easier with my magic.”

Felix smirked, “How many Imperials did you toss a Thunder at?”

“Plenty,” Byleth said.

Still, Felix had a point. She’d recovered her fighting ability remarkably quickly for having been shut away for two years…another gift from Sothis? And if so, could Sothis not also do something about how her skin was still far too sensitive to sunlight? She could barely fish alongside Alois for half an hour before needing to go inside…

“You guys done or going another round?”

Felix and Byleth looked over to Sylvain, lounging on the sidelines with a pair of javelins and Bernadetta.

“Another round?” Felix asked.

“I think I’m good,” Byleth declined.

Felix shrugged, “Three-two in my favor. I’m not complaining.”

“You both did very well,” Bernadetta said as she took up her javelin to face Sylvain.

“Thanks, now give that idiot a good thwack for me!” Felix said, smirking at his old friend.

“I am _wounded_ Felix. So deeply wounded by that comment—hey, Bernie, no fair trying to jump me when I’m being dramatic!” Sylvain squawked, lunging out of the way.

“Ha-ha, get him!” Felix laughed.

Byleth shook her head. Bernadetta had always been more nervous with melee weapons, but Byleth had insisted on training her in at least one after joining the Blue Lions and lances had worked with Bernadetta’s interest in riding. It was Sylvain who had come up with the idea of swapping to javelins—lances with the ability for range, if used correctly. The best of both.

On the other hand, in a training brawl, throwing away your only javelin…didn’t exactly work, and Sylvain was much more experienced in using lances than Bernadetta overall. Despite Bernadetta’s best efforts, Sylvain eventually got through her defenses and swept her legs out from under her. 

“Wow, you made me work for that!” Sylvain complimented with a broad grin, intentionally pointing the less-sharp end of the lance at his fallen opponent.

Byleth smiled. So like Sylvain to try and quickly head off any negativity Bernadetta might feel about herself.

“Careful with her legs. Mercedes will be upset if you mess up her work,” Felix warned.

“Ohh, right,” Sylvain said. “Let’s go again, no leg hits?”

“No, no, she can hit _your_ legs just fine,” Felix goaded.

“Do you just ant to watch me get hit with a stick Felix? Is that it?” Sylvain asked before ducking as Bernadetta took a swipe at him. “Ah-ha, the element of surprise won’t work on me!”

.o.o.o.

“You really are improving,” Byleth assured Bernadetta as they headed back to the church.

“I’m glad to have something to fall back on, but Sylvain’s really above my level with lances,” Bernadetta sighed. “Maybe I’ll practice with Flayn, she’s a little closer to what I can handle…”

“You’re doing fine, and Sylvain’s a good teacher; you don’t need to beat him to learn,” Byleth assured her. “I think that…oh.” Her eyes fell on Dimitri as she entered the chapel—he seemingly hadn’t moved since morning.

“He’s still there?” Bernadetta questioned quietly.

Byleth nodded. On the days when Dimitri…prayed? Hallucinated? On the days he stayed in front of the rubble lost in his own mind, there was little sense moving him. “Likely will be until nightfall.”

“Spooky,” Bernadetta muttered. “I…I’m not the most pious person, but there’s something…something way creepier about him doing it than if it was Mercedes or someone else who prays a lot.”

“It’s not all prayer,” Byleth said, unwilling to give more of Dimitri’s secrets than that. “Sometimes…people need to think.”

“I can respect that,” Bernadetta said. “Well. I, um, need to get to the library. Good luck?”

“Thank you,” Byleth said as Bernadetta headed for the stairs. Byleth headed for her desk at the front pews, only to find it occupied.

“Alois. What are you doing here?” Byleth asked.

“Ah, hello Byleth!” Alois greeted cheerfully. “I hope you don’t mind my using your desk, but I am composing a letter to my darling wife and daughter to let them know what to expect when they arrive, and my daughter was fascinated by the idea of a hole in the cathedral ceiling! I had to sit here to get my descriptions just right, you see!”

“So they will start their journey soon?” Byleth asked, sitting on the pew beside Alois.

“Indeed. Given word of the Knights of Seiros joining the Kingdom’s rebellion spread ever-further by the day…it will likely be safer for them here,” Alois said. “I cannot wait for my little Belle to meet Flayn, they’re likely get on like honeybees and hummingbirds!”

“So…good?” Byleth asked.

“Quite, I expect. Hopefully they don’t out-fish the pound all by themselves!” Alois said. He cleared his throat. “As for the prince, erm, _king_, he seems to be doing fine.”

“Fine,” Byleth repeated.

“No negative changes, my dear girl,” Alois assured her.

“Ah. Thank you for…keeping him company,” Byleth said, wondering if Dimitri had even noticed Alois’ presence.

“It’s quite all right. How about you, Flayn, and I see if we catch anything interesting this evening? I’ve got some new glowbug bait I’m sure will land a great catch!” Alois said.

“That sounds nice. I’ll try to get my work done by then,” Byleth said.

“You’d best get started. Gilbert brought more down an hour or so ago,” Alois admitted, moving over so Byleth could get the papers and sit down herself.

“Hm. More bandit reports. Our supplies for rebuilding must make tempting targets…” Byleth mused as she got to work.

.o.o.o.

_Why are you still waiting?_

_ Have you given up, coward that you are?_

_ Go, go and bring her head-_

“I know,” Dimitri told the ghosts. “I will, I shall, be patient-”

_It has been years! She was in your grasp once, and you **failed**._

“It will be different when we next meet. She will die,” Dimitri promised. “You will be avenged, I swear it-”

“Do you want some dinner?”

Dimitri whirled on his heel at the loud question to see a startled Byleth and a cheerful knight…Alois. The man had been here a while, if he remembered correctly.

“I…yes. Bring something in, I’ll try to finish this,” Byleth said slowly, gesturing at her work.

“And you, your highness?” Alois asked, as if Dimitri was to be considered.

Dimitri turned away.

“I’ll pick something up for you, then!”

Dimitri scowled as he heard the knight walk away. What a fool. Acting as if the world was just, as if Dimitri was some child to be cared for-

_Damn it, where is her head_?

“I know,” he whispered. He clenched his fists. Byleth. Byleth was appraised of their army’s status. He looked towards her once more.

“When can we move against her?”

“We have to wait for troops,” Byleth replied, only sparing him a quick look up. “Lord Rodrigue is going to try and reinforce us, but it will take him time to disengage from his current location and meet with us. We’re trying to reach out to the Alliance, but I think our communications are being interfered with…”

“Why must we wait?” Part of him knew, truly, but the perhaps if the dead heard it from her, they might be appeased for just a little longer, content to bide their time just a little more, knowing their vengeance was in capable hands…

“With our current numbers, we will be crushed before even reaching Edelgard. Not even a small team trying to infiltrate the Empire has much chance of success as things stand. And certainly not you alone.”

Dimitri took a deep breath, hanging his head. The voices were quieter now, knowing that his pleas were not from personal weakness. There was reason for patience.

“You should eat what Alois brings. You didn’t eat last night.”

Dimitri looked up at her. Her eyes seemed…concerned, verging on the edge of pity, but the rest of her face was its usual calm.

“If you insist,” he said.

.o.o.o.

“Ooh, this makes it so much more sense!” Annette said as Lysithia showed her a potential modification to her Cutting Gale spell. “You always have the best ideas!”

“I try,” Lysithia said, teasingly primping her hair.

“Between your gales and Sylvain’s fireballs, I’ve got work to do to keep up,” Felix mused.

“You need to focus on your stamina for Thoron!” Lysithia said sternly. “Its range prevents you from needing a bow! That should take absolute precedent when you’re not off swinging swords!”

“I do hope I’m not interrupting,” Hanneman said as he came in, “But Lysithia is quite correct. Even with your battlefield synergy with Bernadetta, your biggest goal in using magic should be to attack foes at a range your swords cannot reach.”

“Hey, Hanneman, here for Black Magic Club?” Sylvain asked teasingly.

“Well, I do enjoy the study of combat magics quite a lot,” Hanneman said. “I’m surprised Byleth isn’t here. She’s been using quite a lot of magic on the field, as of late.”

“Most of it to cover the boar’s ass,” Felix muttered.

“Professor has a lot of work to do organizing our bands and knights into an actual army, you know,” Annette said. “She probably doesn’t have time right now…”

“Ah well, we are all quite busy indeed these days,” Hanneman said. “I must say, I’m glad to see so many of my favorite students doing so well! Lysithia, your use of Dark Spikes grows more creative every battle! And Sylvain, such masterful practice with your horse so it doesn’t spook at your more explosive spells!”

“Now I just have to stop spooking Felix!” Sylvain joked, earning a growl from his friend.

“We’ve got quite the mage squad here, I’ll admit,” Lysithia said proudly.

“All due to your stern work as a taskmaster, I’m certain,” Hanneman said kindly. “You know, you would make a fantastic teacher, should we one day reopen the Academy.”

“You’d be _so_ great!” Annette agreed. “You’re so driven and creative.”

“I…that would be…a thing to think about,” Lysithia admitted. “Perhaps. But we have many other concerns to deal with! Like those bandits who want our supplies we’re going to stake out in a few days!”

“All right, let’s call spell dibs now!” Sylvain suggested. “Bologane is mine!”

.o.o.o.

Byleth stared at the canvas wall of tent, unable to sleep. Camping was nice, and the flimsier nature of the tents usually meant they weren’t _too_ enclosing…but not tonight.

She took a blanket and crept out over Lysithia and Mercedes’ sleeping forms.

A handful of the group were on watch around the fire, and still others had fallen asleep out there. One more wouldn’t be too suspicious.

“Get a tad stuffy in there?” Alois asked softly as she placed a pillow on a log near him and stretched out.

“Lysithia snores,” Byleth blamed. While occasionally true, it wasn’t tonight.

“Ah,” Alois said. “Well, all’s well thus far on this watch shift. I think Manuela at least got Dimitri to sit down on the last one.”

Byleth looked and Dimitri was indeed sitting with his back to a tree, eye staring off into the woods around them, lance at the ready. “Good for Manuela.”

“…I just don’t understand,” Alois admitted. “You say Edelgard claimed to be keeping you safe, but was never clear from _what_?”

“Her allies, likely. The ones who hurt Flayn,” Byleth said.

“Then why are they her allies?” Alois asked. “That doesn’t sound like allies to me.”

“I don’t know,” Byleth said, unsure of whether or not to tell him that her father had wanted to keep her safe from Rhea. “I…I rather quickly realized that she is very steadfast in her beliefs. Nothing I said would have swayed her. I soon stopped bothering.”

“Mm,” Alois said. “Sad. Here when she was a student I thought to myself ‘Alois, this girl will be one great ruler.’ What a fool I was for that one…”

“Great doesn’t necessarily mean good,” Byleth noted sadly.

“Ha. True,” Alois said. “True…but what does she want? All these years of war…for what?”

“Change. The end of the church,” Byleth said. “…I’m not sure, other than that.”

“Mm. Seems a bit light to start a massive war over, even including the church. I think there’s a lot we still don’t know,” Alois said.

“I know there is,” Byleth agreed, leaning against the log to try and get some rest.

.o.o.o.

The battle was swift. Dimitri had tried his usual charging-ahead tactics, only to be outstripped by Sylvain on his horse with fire spells and the range of Hanneman Felix’s Thoron blasts. If Byleth didn’t know better, she’d say the three of them were competing to see who could snatch the most defeats from Dimitri’s lance. Hanneman seemed a bit winded from keeping up with the mess, but otherwise all four had emerged relatively unscathed.

Lysithia managed some masterclass warping, allowing Byleth and Alois to isolate the leader and take him alive while Dimitri was practically on the other end of the field.

Now was the time for questioning.

“Were you hired?” Alois asked politely, for the man was kind even in interrogation. It did seem to get him results sometimes, and the bandit leader seemed to waver at it here. “It’s quite all right if you weren’t, these are tough times are all. But if you were, that could be quite vital to us.”

“…No,” the bandit eventually said. “But any who escaped were offered money.”

“Money?” Byleth asked. “From who?”

“General Randoph. If anyone of us wanted, we’d come back to him with information. We were coming anyway. We needed the food.”

“Sadly, we need it as well,” Alois admonished. “Now, who is this General Randolph?”

“Imperial. Planning something,” the bandit admitted.

“An attack?” Byleth asked. The bandit shrugged.

“Well, we can’t let you free with that on the line,” Alois mused. “I suppose we can whip up something of a holding cell. If you think of anything else, it can only help you…”

“He’s an Imperial and a general and offered to pay. That’s all I got,” the bandit said.

“We should go back at once, escort the merchants as quickly as we can,” Byleth said. “We might be about to be besieged.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alois is firmly in Dad Mode in regards to Byleth and Dimitri right now. He's just being properly careful about it with Dimitri, mostly just hanging around the king's vicinity whenever Byleth's off doing other things so Byleth knows someone's keeping an eye on him. And making sure they both eat. He's also been fussing over Bernie offscreen about her healing leg, though that will come up more later. Once his own kid gets here, he's going to be watching four people! Five if he's also watching Flayn for Seteth. But the Sun of the Knights shall not falter!
> 
> Thought I'd get black magic club established now. It was a headcanon when I was playing thru the BL route for the first time, since Felix and Sylvain both made master-class (Mortal Savant and Dark Knight) just before the timeskip, indicating that they must have been doing some studying with the more mage-type characters, including Byleth herself. It's also one of Lysithia's places to shine. 
> 
> I LOVE the javelin weapon and it actually has quite a bit to do in this fanfic, particularly as I realized how fun it could be to give it to people other than Ingrid, its first user.


	5. Chapter 5

Byleth’s training was the only reason she didn’t freeze in horror.

The attack from the Empire had been brief, and quickly routed by the monastery’s zealous defenders. Byleth had seen Dimitri take a hit to the side, but he hadn’t come by any of the healers. Naturally she set off to find the stubborn king, only to find…this.

Dimitri beginning to torture the general of the Imperials. 

Byleth didn’t need the faint echo of Sothis yelling for her to _do something_ in her ears to rush forward and end the man’s life before Dimitri could take this nightmare any further.

“How dare you!” Dimitri snapped.

“How dare _I_?” Byleth demanded. “_What_ were you thinking? Anyone could have come across you doing this! We’d lose allies in an instant!”

“We have no need of weaklings who cannot stand a little blood.”

“A little…a little…” Blyeth’s fury burned so hot it turned her blood to ice. “Dimitri. This behavior is unacceptable.”

“I apologize, do you care about the manners of monsters now?” Dimitri asked darkly.

“You only call yourself a monster because you think you cannot face yourself otherwise!” Byleth accused. “We don’t need a monster; we need _you_ Dimitri!”

Her eyes burned and she stormed away, fists clenched at her sides.

Had she been fooling herself all along? Was the Dimitri she’d known only the mask for…for such cruelty, such callousness?

No.

_No_.

She was right. Dimitri was still in there, under the pain and hate…she just wasn’t the person suited for handling it, it seemed. Not like this.

.o.o.o.

“We don’t need a monster, we need _you_, Dimitri.”

Her words rung in his ears even as he found a secluded part of the monastery to patch himself up in.

It did not matter what they needed, for it was not what he was. The prince they’d known was dead, dead, nothing but among the dead…

But she was not, not yet. That demanded different handling.

He needed advice.

.o.o.o.

“Sylvain. A word.”

Sylvain about jumped out of his skin, which startled poor Dancer into a neighing fit. He calmed his horse, staring in surpise at Dimitri. Since when did their king grace the stables? “Huh?”

“Come,” Dimitri said firmly.

“Okay,” Sylvain said warily, following Dimitri as he was beckoned. This was new. Normally it was a fight to get Dimitri to acknowledge anyone other than Byleth, Gilbert, or Alois.

Or dead people.

“So, uh, Your Highness, what’s going on?”

“I appear to have…miss-stepped, regarding Byleth.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Sylvain asked. Was this romance? Tactics? The fact that Dimitri and Byleth were both kind of messes outside of battle at the moment and Byleth was clearly just hiding it better?

“I upset her.”

“…Doing?” Sylvain asked.

“I was…this is confidential,” Dimitri said sharply. “She advised few should know.”

Sylvain blinked, “_While_ mad at you.”

“Yes,” Dimitri said.

“Yeah…okay, promise not to tell, what the heck happened?”

“I was…brutalizing the captured general.”

“You were what? You captured the—and then you—and Byleth—and…what?!?” Sylvain sputtered. This was just too much, but he could see why Byleth didn’t want anyone to know. Felix would have put Dimiti down immediately if anyone told him this kind of thing had happened.

“I understand why it was…a poor choice, especially in an open location,” Dimitri said. “But she seemed so angry…why? After what they did to her?”

“You…think Byleth should have been fine with you torturing a guy because he’s from the same faction that locked her up?” Sylvain asked, before sighing at Dimitri’s blank stare. Hoo boy was his friend far gone here, and confused about the ladies to boot. “Dimitri…look, I don’t know what Byleth, y’know, _likes_ or anything, but she’s always been a pretty precise person as far as vengeance was concerned. You’re kind of a ‘crush their whole army’ type while she’s just likely to take out the head if she can…”

Was this good advice? Oh no, was he going to send Dimitri into one of his “I’m going right to Enbarr” fits? Shit, why did he have to be the one to do this…

“…So to her, I was harming someone who had nothing to do with anything. Who was there by chance,” Dimitri said quietly.

“Uh…maybe?” Sylvain offered. “But Your Highness, no offense, I’d like you to knock off the torture ideas too. We don’t need that.”

“I said I understood the tactical error,” Dimitri huffed.

“Dimitri…I think you need to apologize. Byleth’s reasonable, that’ll probably work. You didn’t want to upset her, right?” And wouldn’t that be a breakthrough, Dimitri caring not just about someone else’s life, but feelings as well? Was there some chance of getting him back through this disaster?

“…It didn’t even quiet them. The dead. They only grew louder,” Dimitri muttered.

Or they could come back to this again. Great. Sylvain ran his hand through his hair, “Yeah…I don’t know much about that but…are they quieter around Byleth or something?” Please let it be so, Dimitri seemed better around her, at least…

“Yes.”

“Then maybe listening to her is what they want,” Sylvain said. “So go say you’re sorry for not doing that.”

Dimitri nodded and walked off. Not even a word of thanks, just a nod. Sylvain sighed, heading back into Dancer and wondering if he’d managed to just make things worse.

.o.o.o.

“I’m surprised you’re okay with hiding in here,” Bernadetta said. “Even with the door open, my room’s pretty small…”

“I just needed someone to talk to,” Byleth admitted.

“You haven’t done much talking,” Bernadetta said. “Not that you have to. Or anything.”

Byleth frowned, “I…the thing we’re fighting over…I don’t wish to spread it. So it is hard to explain…”

“I mean, I’m scared of Dimitri so, you know, letting my imagination fill it in probably isn’t doing him favors,” Bernadetta confessed.

“But you know…how I…how things are. There.” Byleth had trouble saying how she saw Dimitri. She wasn’t even sure herself. There was a connection…beyond his vow that her enemies were his enemies, they had been deep friends and she’d felt that the second she’d seen him again…

“I just kind of assumed it was like the reverse of me and Felix,” Bernadetta admitted. “I got less scared of him once I got to know him, so now he’s not so scary. You got to know Dimitri really well before…so even if he’s scary to a lot of us, he’s not to you.”

“That’s…a pretty good way of putting it,” Byleth admitted.

“Yeah, it was either that or just assume that you’re not scared of anything,” Bernadetta admitted. “Which, you know…not really true.”

“I am afraid,” Byleth said. “Afraid _for_ him. That one day he will go so far we will never reach him again. That he will get himself or one of us killed in this…madness. It is madness. And it’s so much like Edelgard’s that it _terrifies_ me.”

“They are both pretty stubborn,” Bernadetta agreed. “But…Dimitri…he has you, and Felix, and the rest of us. He has us to pull him back. Edelgard…she’s too unquestionable for the rest of the Black Eagles, especially now. But Dimitri…we know to question. We know to stop him.”

“The question is…how far will he go next time we have to?” Byleth wondered forlornly.

.o.o.o.

To her surprise Byleth found Dimitri sitting on the pew by her desk.

“You were right. I was angry. The general…was just convenient as an outlet.”

“I see,” Byleth said, sitting as well. She left a few feet of space between them.

“I think before yesterday, you did not understand, but now you do. I _am_ a monster, professor.” There was shame in his voice. “I live only so she may die. It is…not worthwhile to invest other hopes in me. It is too late.”

“It is not,” Byleth said. “If it were, you would not sound so ashamed to say it. A monster feels no shame, Dimitri.”

“I…all I have is her death. That is all I can hope for,” Dimitri said.

“You’re wrong.”

Dimitri smiled sadly. “They will not let me have anything else, professor. But…I should have listened to your advice. Our enemies are the same, and your spoke the truth. I shall…take more care with my actions outside of battle.”

Byleth despaired over Dimitri’s ghosts, if ghosts they were, and not merely his own guilt and self-hatred. She suspected they were. How could loving parents or a kind knight like Glenn was said to have been berate Dimitri into such states? Make him quake under the pressure of their demands. And Dedue…he would never stand for such, much less make similar demands of Dimitri. He’d instigate a fight with the other ghosts before letting them.

She held out her hand. Dimitri looked confused by it.

“Your enemies, my enemies. Your cause, my cause,” she said firmly.

“I will not doubt your commitment again,” Dimitri agreed, taking her hand as she moved closer beside him.

They eventually both nodded off on the pews, Byleth’s head resting on Dimitri’s shoulder.

.o.o.o.

The next day, Dimitri followed Byleth as she went about her duties, reminding himself of all she did for him and his forces. Of what he had nearly turned on out of a lust for more violence after the end of a battle.

Their forces were tired, but in a few weeks they would meet Rodrigue and could finally begin their campaign for Enbarr.

He needed only be patient. Even if the dead did not understand it, he now did. And they were often quieter in her presence, so perhaps even somehow, they knew. Knew it would come to vengeance eventually, but patience was called for.

Dimitri stiffened at a startled shout before rushing into the greenhouse.

Byleth was on her knees, hands clasped over her mouth and tears in her eyes. Mercedes had averted her gaze from whatever Byleth was looking at, dabbing her own eyes furiously while supporting herself against the rim of the planter with a white-knuckled grip.

“…You shouted,” Dimitri explained when Mercedes finally seemed to notice he was there. Byleth hadn’t moved. “Someone shouted.” He wasn’t sure which, really.

“Those,” Mercedes said, gesturing as she straightened up.

Dimitri looked…and nearly fell to his knees himself.

Pale blue flowers…pale blue and dangling from vines like stars…that was how…how Dedue had always described…the flowers from Duscur, the ones he was trying to grow…they’d been hidden by the rubble and overgrowth, but now…

He shook his head. Coincidence. It was coincidence…

But hadn’t he begged the dead for a sign, any sign, of their approval?

“We are on the right path,” Dimitri murmured. “If he let us see this.”

He stormed out of the greenhouse before the flowers drove him to tears as well. To his surprise, Byleth followed.

“I…I don’t know how they survived,” she whispered. “He…he always talked about how worried he was for them, how he didn’t know if they’d take to the climate…”

“He approves of our path,” Dimitri repeated. “Of our return here.”

Dedue had always encouraged him to be more willing to rely on others…perhaps…perhaps this was his sign to work with the others to take that woman’s head. Byleth deserved to see it, certainly. Yes, it _was_ foolish to try and get into Enbarr alone, being who he was…but with the other lions…

Together. They’d carve this bloody path together. Perhaps at the end…he would once more be someone who could stand beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a hard chapter. Dimitri's bit with Randolph is THE low point of the route and easily him at his worst. I was actually having trouble figuring out how he and Byleth might reconcile, and then the working part of Dimitri's brain went "lady troubles=go to Sylvain" and Sylvain stole the show. Thank you, Sylvain. 
> 
> Two more chapters til Valley of torment. Next time: Seteth gets Byleth and Dimitri to stop sleeping in the church, Cyril threatens a king, Alois starts a trend, and Sylvain gives both wanted and unwanted advice.


	6. Chapter 6

Ever since his masterful job of getting Dimitri to apologize to the professor for the Incident Which Would Not Be Spoken Of, Sylvain had tried engaging Dimitri further. Most of the time, it was like dealing with a brick wall. Sometimes it was like dealing with a brick wall that snapped and snarled at him instead. So he’d asked the professor’s advice at getting Dimitri’s attention in a positive manner.

And thus his new plan: engage on Dimitri’s ‘obsessed with killing Edelgard’ terms.

“You think my usual weapons won’t work for my goal?” Dimitri asked, voice an interesting cross of irritation and disbelief.

“Look, I’ve been thinking. About fighting…you know, _her_,” Sylvain said. “Thought of a _major_ thing to get through on the way to cutting her head off or whatever.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll just cut it down as well,” Dimitri huffed.

“Yeah, well, Hubert’s not so easy a guy to cut down, he tends to start blasting before you get close. I know, I do Dark Magic too,” Sylvain said. “So, I was thinking—_javelins_.”

“…Javelins?” Dimitri asked dryly.

“Yeah, you never really used them much when we were students, but they’re pretty much just shorter lances that you can chuck at people. Mighty handy to get some range, like for taking out asshole mages that’ll _totally_ be guarding your main target,” Sylvain explained.

“You are suggesting I practice with javelins,” Dimitri said.

“Yeah. I’ve got some. Been training Bernie with them a bit so she has a melee weapon on her for backup, but she throws them more than hitting with them and when she got an enemy mage with it when we were clearing out that last bunch of bandits, it got me thinking,” Sylvain said.

“Hm. Would be less troublesome than trying to carry extra weapon types,” Dimitri conceded.

“And who has time to learn how to use hand axes or what have you? Nah, javelins, man. Everyone knows lances are the best weapons, anyway,” Sylvain said.

“You have a point. When?”

“Uh…how’s…now?” Sylvain asked, surprised he’d gotten this far.

“Fine,” Dimitri said, turning to go to the training grounds.

Sylvain blinked. That went better than he thought. Professor was right, relating it back to the goal and…huh. He hurried to catch up.

.o.o.o.

Dimitri left the training grounds feeling unusually at ease. Sylvain’s advice had been quite prescient, as even with Dimitri’s ability to dodge most spells having to cross the distance to engage a mage in melee was a risk that could leave him unable to fulfill his revenge properly. The javelin was…oddly light, but he’d get used to it, and his aim wasn’t bad for a beginner.

His mood soured upon finding Byleth, Seteth, and Cyril on the church’s bridge, due to how nervous Byleth’s posture appeared.

“What’s going on?” Dimitri demanded, storming over to deal with whatever distressing distraction this was.

“I need to get used to…to _rooms_ again,” Byleth sighed.

“With our population growing, it is simply not advisable for either of you to continue sleeping in the church,” Seteth clarified. “Besides being…unseemly…it is also poor security for our king and acting archbishop.”

“And the pews are bad for your backs when you sleep sittin’ in them,” Cyril added. “I’ve seen you both wincing, you know.”

“True,” Byleth admitted. She glanced up at Dimitri. “Stay with me?”

“I…will consider,” Dimitri said, surprised by the request.

“I spoke with Cyril. We feel Rhea’s old quarters would be…appropriate, given your current preference for both escape routes and outdoor access,” Seteth said. “Cyril has already cleaned things up, should you wish to use them.”

“Hm…” Byleth said, looking up at the church. Dimitri could guess why, the third-floor chambers were a bit like being in a tower… “We can try.”

“I do not care,” Dimitri said. He did not need a room, and rarely slept even now.

“It would give you easy access to the chapel,” Byleth noted. “To speak with the dead.”

“The…dead?” Cyril asked quietly, looking between Dimitri and Byleth. Seteth made a gesture for him to not pursue that line of thought. “Uh, yeah, anyway, it is above the chapel. And since Lady Rhea left the professor in charge…I mean, technically the room belongs to the archbishop, not just Lady Rhea…so…yeah.”

“Thank you, Cyril,” Byleth said. “Let’s…take a look.”

They ventured up to the third floor of the church, Byleth gritting her teeth at the close walls of the staircase. Dimitri hoped his presence was enough as they continued.

.o.o.o.

Dimitri behind her made the trip a bit easier as they reached Rhea’s third floor quarters. Byleth had to admit, it was more secure…though that could also mean less easy to escape, and the thought rattled her before she firmly shook it. No, no, she’d see the room first.

Cyril unlocked the door and the four of them stepped inside the relatively spacious room.

Rhea’s bed had presumably been a four-poster once, but the posts were all hacked off. It looked like someone—Cyril, probably—had sanded them down in an effort to even them out. The doors had been ripped from the wardrobe, though the piece itself was freshly polished. The door to a private lavatory looked as those it had been recently repaired, with mismatched but gleaming bolts.

And there were windows. Three glorious windows, two with their glass removed but bright and freeing. And the other doors…

“I did not know Rhea had a balcony,” Byleth noted.

“I told you there was outdoor access,” Seteth said. “We of course ask you keep the pools clean and try to reign in the plants a bit, but it would perhaps fulfil your…present needs.”

Byleth hurried outside. A room with outside access…yes. Yes, this could work. She could work with this…

She nodded, “I think this was a good idea, Seteth.”

“Yeah, well, so long as you keep Lady Rhea’s room nice,” Cyril said. He pointed at Dimitri. “I’ve heard of you breakin’ stuff. Don’t you _dare_ break anything worse than it already is. This room’s going to be Lady Rhea’s again, you know. I’ll come for you.”

Byleth swallowed, wondering how Dimitri would take the threat. 

“As you would be within your rights to,” Dimitri said, and of course retribution was something he’d allow. “I shall do my best.”

Byleth blinked. That was nearly the politest he’d been since she’d arrived. Had something happened?

“Good,” Cyril said. “Well, I’ve got work to do. Seteth, Professor, Your Highness.”

Byleth watched Cyril leave. “And you, Seteth?”

“Quite the workload indeed,” Seteth said, shooting Dimitri a despairing look. Byleth shook her head. Dimitri had een handling very little paperwork himself, most of it going to Gilbert or herself. If he wasn’t in a state for it, she saw little alternative. The work needed doing and if Dimitri wouldn’t or couldn’t, then someone else had to. “However, Alois has invited Flayn and I to have lunch with his family, so I shall have that as a diversion first.”

“Good luck,” Byleth said. Seteth left, and she and Dimitri were alone in the room.

“Were you honest with them? It is not…too confining?” Dimitri checked.

“Not with this,” Byleth said, leaning against the balcony’s stone railings. “This is uite wonderful. Speaking of which, you seemed pleased.”

“Sylvain assisted me with an idea for battle,” Dimitri said. “I can use javelins to improve my range.”

“That should make you and even more dangerous force to contend with,” Byleth agreed. “Provided you avoid breaking them.”

“Yes. I have much training to do,” Dimitri agreed.

Byleth smiled. A less destructive goal. This was a good thing, she could feel it.

.o.o.o.

Early the next morning, Ingrid headed into the training grounds to find Sylvain eagerly throwing what sounded like gift suggestions at Felix.

“Ooh, ooh, chocolates. You said she likes sweets, right?”

“I will not hesitate!” Felix said, pointing his sword at Sylvain.

“What is this?” Ingrid demanded.

“Felix is in _love_,” Sylvain said.

“Yes, with Bernadetta. Most of us know,” Ingrid said, smirking as Felix went to point his sword at her before apparently deciding Sylvain was the more important target. “Felix. It’s fine. It’s actually very sweet.”

“I…I…you will be _quiet_ about this,” Felix huffed, sheathing his weapon. “And _you_,” he pointed at Sylvain, “will stop trying to _help_.”

“Oh, yes, don’t listen to him at all,” Ingrid agreed.

“Guys, I want Bernie to be happy too! We’re friends!” Sylvain said. “I just want our favorite porcupine to put his best quills forward—ooh, ooh, _quills_! Felix, go hunt a bird for her and get her some good quills, she likes to write!”

“Ingrid. Shut him up,” Felix groaned, clenching his fists and looking away.

“Why are we shutting up Sylvain today?” Lysithia asked as she entered the training grounds.

“I just want to help!” Sylvain protested. “I’m a helper!”

“Lies,” Lysithia said. “Felix, you’re still focusing exclusively on electric spells. Is this a preference or a limitation? I feel at least a single spell of another element would greatly-”

“Why is everyone giving me advice today?” Felix despaired.

“I’m great at advice!” Sylvain and Lysithia insisted in unison. Ingrid burst out laughing.

.o.o.o.

Later, Byleth was enjoying a quiet afternoon on the pond dock with Flayn, Alois, and Alois’ sweet daughter Belle, seeing who could catch the most impressive fish.

Fishing was a good outlet. Peaceful, calm, and out in the open air.

“Oh, Byleth, you’re going pink,” Belle said, looking worried.

Byleth sighed, toughing her heated face. “The sun. I can still only have so much…”

“Do not fret! I planned for this!” Alois said, reaching into his bag and producing a flat bread-basket and a ribbon. “Hold still and behold!”

Byleth did as asked, and Alois threaded the ribbon through the basket before flipping it upside down and tying it to her head like an odd flat hat.

“No more sun! Well, less sun,” Alois declared. “The rest of you is covered well enough.”

“How clever!” Flayn said. “May I have one as well? Seteth worries over my long days fishing.”

“Me too, papa! Me too!” Belle said.

“…You know what, hats for everyone! I’ll be back!” Alois declared, heading into the dining hall.

Byleth adjusted her new sun hat and cast her line again. Yes, this was much better.

.o.o.o.

Seteth headed out to the pond to see how things were going, only to stop and stare at his daughter, Alois, Byleth, and Alois’ daughter all wearing baskets tied to their heads with ribbon as they fished and chatted.

The fish merchant was even eying his own baskets as if considering making his own…well. They looked silly, but they seemed serviceable. He headed up the dock. “Room for one more, or is there a dress code?”

Flayn grinned impishly and held out another basket and ribbon. Seteth sighed. The things one did for their daughters…

.o.o.o.

The first several nights in their new quarters had gone well, in Dimitri’s eyes. He could stay in the chapel as long as he liked, and then climb the stairs in privacy. Tonight, however, was another story.

He’d trained late with Sylvain, and gone to store his weapons before a return to the chapel to appraise the dead of their soon to be progress. Tomorrow they rode out to meet Rodrigue. But as he entered their room, he noticed Byleth seemed to be in some distress, thrashing about on her bed.

Dimitri frowned as Byleth continued to toss. He was not particularly safe to wake from nightmares, but then the professor was not a beast like he was…

He nudged her with the heel of one hand, experimentally.

Byleth yelped out, “Sothis!” and tumbled out of the bed, stunning them both.

Dimitri took a slow step back as Byleth pushed herself up, unsure of what else to do.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” she asked.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” he replied. “You were…having a bad dream?”

“The void. And the tower. At once somehow,” Byleth said, rubbing her temples. “Urgh. I need…I need out.”

She walked over to the balcony, out the open door. Dimitri followed, out of both curiosity and in case there was some unknown threat out there. He watched as Byleth sank to her knees under the stars, relaxing in a way she couldn’t inside.

**_She_ **_did this to **our** professor-_

_This is pointless, all pointless, you should have gotten her head-_

_Are you a knight or a beast, comfort the poor thing!_

The last one startled him, sounding a bit like a blend of Glenn and Dedue. Dimitri shook his head. They both knew very well that _they_ were the knights, the knights who shouldn’t have died for a monster like him…

And he was a beast. Nothing but a bloodstained beast. He had no right to comfort her. Yet his feet moved anyway until he stood beside her.

Byleth sighed, leaning against his legs. “It’s easier to breathe out here.”

Dimitri remembered that she’d liked Annette and Lysithia’s plan to burn down the Imperial Palace. “You…do you think it will be easier for you once we destroy the tower?”

“You’re going to destroy the tower?” Byleth asked.

Dimitri shrugged. “May as well after we kill that woman.”

“Mm,” Byleth hummed, closing her eyes. “Perhaps it would help…that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try to deal with it now, though.”

“You don’t have to.” He sat down beside her. “Tonight. You don’t have to tonight.”

“That is true,” she said, leaning on him.

He bit back yet another comment about how she could _not_ be comfortable leaning on his armor in such a way, because they all fell on deaf ears. And if an armored beast was what brought Byleth comfort, then so be it.

She needed her rest. Tomorrow, they rode for the Valley for Torment…and whatever it would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cryril: Fuck with Lady Rhea's stuff and I will not hesitate!  
Dimitri: This is entirely reasonable to me in my revenge-focused mindset.  
Seteth and Byleth: *groan*
> 
> Just sort of things moving along at the monastery. I'm mildly annoyed Rhea's room was in perfect condition in part 2, if only because so much of the rest of the church was trashed. So I messed it up a bit more. Also made the balcony connect right off the room, instead of down a hall. I LOVE that balcony. 
> 
> Alois' sun hat idea quickly became a staple for fisherman across Fodlan. 
> 
> Felix can and will murder anyone other than Bernadetta and maybe Flayn who implies he has feelings. Too bad for him Sylvain doesn't care.
> 
> The first scene is in honor of the madness that ensued in my game once Dimitri got a javelin. Man becomes a murder machine when you do that. Like, MORE of one.


	7. Chapter 7

Byleth quickly learned that any amount of bellyaching her students had done during their time at the academy was nothing compared to what happened when you dragged a bunch of Kingdom soldiers into the Valley of Torment. Everyone seemed to have a comment about how it was too hot, or the road too rough, or the surroundings too intimidating.

She was almost _happy_ when they were ambushed. Dimitri clearly was. She swore under her breath and made sure to keep up.

“If we take the commander, the rest should flee!” Alois advised, forced to keep his distance due to their differences in running speed.

“Right, find the commander,” she mused, scanning their opponents. They’d been pinned in the middle of the valley, but there was a fortified position to the northwest that seemed promising. “Dimitri, northwest!”

He seemed a little too engaged in his current fight to have heard her, but given they weren’t moving much anymore it would give time for Alois and Flayn time to catch up. Byleth had recently been experimenting with having Flayn act as her and Dimitri’s backup—Fortify and Rescue were both good spells to have behind them, and the latter could be used to retrieve Dimitri if he got too wayward.

They had yet to need to, but in a battlefield like this it was more a question of _when_, especially if Dimitri got too worked up. The paths were varied and sometimes narrow, and Byleth worried for his ability to slip away. Sadly, adding inches in height had also added significantly to his running speed, it seemed…

.o.o.o.

“Go Bernie!” Annette cheered as Bernadetta nailed another horse with an arrow. “You’re on fire!”

“Not actually on fire,” Felix assured Bernadetta as she frantically checked herself over.

“We’re in a place full of cracks of lava! It’s a valid fear!” Bernadetta said.

“She’s right. Half or more of us are going to have heat rash for certain,” Lysithia noted, flicking sweat from her brow with a grimace.

“Thank you for that image, Lysithia,” Felix said Bernadetta yelped and shot yet another opponent, downing him instantly. “…Wow.”

“Fear’s a good motivator!” Bernadetta said, grinning weakly. “Besides, the sooner we fight them off, the sooner we can leave!”

“I’m all for that!” Lysithia agreed.

“To leaving!” Annette agreed. “Oh, hey, reinforcements! Felix, your dad’s here!”

“Oh. That,” Felix said.

“He’s a bit of a ways off from the rest of us, we should give him ranged support,” Lysithia advised.

“Right,” Bernadetta said, switching to her longbow. “It looks like the big armored guy in the back is directing people towards them!”

“Yeah, I see him. Professor and the boar will get there soon enough,” Felix said. “And I’ve never known armor to be a problem for that idiot.”

“Felix, don’t talk about your king in public like that!” Annette hissed, gesturing at her and Lysithia’s battalions.

“Why?” Felix asked. Annette wagged her finger at him sharply before flinging a sharp wind spell into the enemy. “I meant that. He doesn’t care, why should I?”

“Felix, _please_,” Annette groaned as Bernadetta shot someone heading for Rodrigue’s party. “Just…go help Bernie save your dad, okay?”

.o.o.o.

The battle eventually ended with Dimitri’s lance knocking Gwendal off his horse with a sharp javelin throw and Byleth finishing the knight with a whirl of flames. 

To the surprise of several people, Dimitri actually _smiled_ upon seeing Rodrigue, greeting him as a friend. Byleth was rather certain that if Felix had been nearby enough the swordsman might have had an episode of shock over it.

“Still, I worry our communications may have been intercepted, if they were able to ambush you before I arrived,” Rodrigue explained as their armies continued securing the area.

“We’ll have to look into it,” Byleth agreed. They had few people experienced with espionage and communications, mainly Bernadetta, Felix, and Annette…still, perhaps they would have some ideas… “You should take it up with your son, he knows more of communcations than I do.”

“I should find him. He was fantastic out there today,” Rodgiue said, smiling with pride. “By your leave, of course.”

“Feel free,” Dimitri said, dismissing Rodrigue.

“I’m pleased to see you happy with something, for a change,” Byleth admitted.

“It’s…he’s always been a balm of a person, like that,” Dimitri admitted. “Also…it is not as though I could ask Felix how he was doing.”

“No, that would not have gone over well,” Byleth agreed. “Still…this makes things a lot more workable for us. With numbers like this, we have much better chance as an offensive force in the war.”

“Yes…hopefully soon it will be over. Your captor and my enemy will be dead,” Dimitri said.

“And your home freed,” Byleth reminded him.

“If she falls, so will her minions,” Dimitri said. “A snake does not live once its head is cut.”

.o.o.o.

“Felix, it is good to see you well,” Rodrigue said, finding his son trying to be inconspicuous among a large group of mages and failing rather badly at it as one of two people not in robes. Felix sighed at his hiding attempt failing, but greeted his father.

“Glad to see you’re also well,” he added offhandedly.

“We all _aren’t_ going to be well if we stay here much longer,” Lysithia said sternly. “I wasn’t joking about heat rash, people. To say _nothing_ of heatstroke or-”

“Thank you, Lysithia,” Felix said darkly.

“Fine, risk your own health, but _I’m_ leaving,” Lysithia said, turning on her heel, her baffled battalion of church mages following. 

“…She is of the Ordelia family, yes?” Rodrigue asked, left alone with his son an Bernadetta.

“Mm,” Felix agreed. “And this is Bernadetta.”

“Ah, the accomplished Miss von Varley,” Rodrigue said, offering Bernadetta a bow. “The rebellion owes you much.”

Bernadetta squeaked and stepped back so she was partially behind Felix. Felix looked amused, “A bit much for a first meeting, don’t you think old man?”

“I am entirely serious. Some of her information was vital indeed,” Rodrigue said. “Know that you have my thanks.”

“Uh huh,” Bernadetta said, still only looking at Rodrigue from the safety of over his son’s shoulder.

“She saved your hide today, too,” Felix said.

“Yes, you’re quite good with a bow,” Rodrigue agreed, giving Bernadetta another smile. She nodded mutely. After realizing he was not going to get a response, Rodrigue coughed into his hand, “Well. I shall see if His Highness has any orders.”

“You do that,” Felix said and Rodrigue walked away.

“You dad is…weird,” Bernadetta said quietly.

“Tell me about it. To be fair, would you call your ass of an old man normal?” Felix asked.

“Urgh. Definitely not. Is…is your dad what a normal dad is supposed to be?” Bernadetta asked.

“I…guess. For Faerghus, anyway,” Felix said, shrugging. “He tries.”

“That’s nice,” Bernadetta said. “So…let’s get out of here?”

“I cannot leave fast enough,” Felix agreed.

.o.o.o.

“We have the troops we need,” Dimitri said as they rode back. “The only question is how we get there.”

“Probably not the ways Bernadetta or I came. Those were ways for a single person, not an army,” Byleth mused. “Moving an army is a very different endeavor indeed…”

“It would depend heavily on whether we first retake Faerghus,” Rodrigue said.

“She is not in Faerghus. She is in Enbarr,” Dimitri said.

“I see,” Rodrigue said.

“I have reports from our troops that confirm we did sustain some damage from the heat,” Byleth said. “They’ll need to rest and recuperate before we move again.”

“Yes, yes,” Dimitri muttered, sounding impatient. He took a deep breath. “Yes. All right. We use that to…plan, then. How to get to Enbarr.”

“Your Highness, the Kingdom is still split between the factions loyal to you and those under the Imperial-aiding traitors,” Rodrigue said. “It leaves the north an unanswered question…”

“The traitors will fall without her backing,” Dimitri said shortly.

“…I see,” Rodrigue repeated.

Byleth shook her head. Dimitri was determined to go for Edelgard as his primary target. The only way he’d go to Faerghus at this rate was if someone convinced him Cornelia was having the Emperor over for tea…

.o.o.o.

“I worry for the Rebellion with Lord Rodrigue here,” Ingrid confessed over dinner. “Not that I doubt his brother, but-”

“Doubt him all you like, Felix won’t get mad,” Sylvain joked. “He’s already complained about his Uncle Felipe watching the homefront…to be fair, my old man’s likely to just steamroll him and run things himself. Say what you want, but us Gautiers know our defensive warfare.”

“That is true, and I’d be happy to know the Margrave had things well in hand,” Ingrid agreed.

“…But Lord Rodrigue would probably be better, right?” Annette admitted.

“Yep,” Sylvain agreed. “Still, once word got out Dimitri was here…”

“But doesn’t he trust Felix with Dimitri?” Lysithia asked.

“Lysithia. You have _seen_ Felix around Dimitri, right?” Ashe asked weakly.

“They seemed…all right, five years ago,” Lysithia said, shrugging.

“That was after all of us throwing a bunch into trying to get them reconciled,” Sylvain said. “Seriously, the professor threatened to tie them to the same tables for a week at one point…”

“She did tie up Felix once…but that was over chasing Bernadetta down and demanding he show her a technique or something,” Ingrid said. “I helped her explain to not do that.”

“…You broke down Bernie’s door, though,” Lysithia pointed out.

“Yes, I’d already received the lecture. Which is why she asked me to help with Felix,” Ingrid admitted guiltily while Sylvain hooted and clapped her on the shoulder.

“Urgh. These northern politics are somehow making the Alliance look simple. You should not be managing that,” Lysithia scolded.

“Eh, the alliance has complex political issues, we have everyone knowing each other way too well for our own good,” Sylvain said with a wink.

.o.o.o.

Rodrigue failed to find either the professor or his king in the dining hall, though Flayn helpfully directed him towards his son’s whereabouts at the training grounds. He brought Felix some food, in case he’d forgotten to eat in his eagerness to get back to training.

“…Thanks,” Felix muttered, eyeing it before going back to practicing his magic.

“I don’t think I’ve met anyone in years who was more intimidated by _me_ than you,” Rodrigue commented, trying to start conversation.

“She wasn’t intimidated,” Felix said, rolling his eyes. “She was wary. She doesn’t know you or your intentions beyond being on our side. It’s a smart mindset, with where she comes from.”

“The Empire is a dangerous place, especially for a young lady covertly acting against it,” Rodrigue agreed. “So, how have you been since setting off for your reunion?”

“Fine,” Felix said. “Plenty of chances to hone my skill out here.”

“It does sound like there’s been quite a lot of fighting. I’m very impressed with your magical abilities. I’ve only ever studied white magic myself, so it was interesting to witness.”

“Mm. The magic’s range means I don’t have to waste time carrying a bow anymore,” Felix said. “Leave that to Ashe and Bernadetta.”

“She is quite the shot,” Rodrigue agreed. “Still, we shall likely see quite a lot of each other. The army needs to rest after the Valley of Torment.”

“And for what are we resting?” Felix asked suspiciously.

“We head to the Bridge of Myrddin next,” Rodrigue said.

Felix scoffed, “How _odd_. I could have sworn Fhridiad was in the other direction.”

A thunderbolt crashed down onto a target, Felix giving his father a cold look to make sure his point had been made.

“We are…not retaking the Kingdom right away,” Rodrigue admitted.

“Shock of shocks,” Felix said, walking over to reset the target. “We’re caring only for the boar’s mad quest, not our home-”

“Felix, he is your king-”

“He’s a mad dog the professor has managed to leash. For now,” Felix said, turning to walk back with a scowl. “You think I like the idea of my friends dying for his foolishness?”

“Defeating the Emperor will topple her regime over the kingdom,” Rodrigue offered. It was clear even he didn’t entirely believe his words.

“Please. We’ll probably have trampled over all of Fodlan before we ever get close to home again,” Felix said, throwing a Thoron blast into the target this time.

“Felix-”

“I’m _not_ in the mood to listen to you defend him. If you’re done interrupting my training, you can leave,” Felix said, holding his father’s gaze until Rodrigue sighed and walked away.

He threw another Thoron into the downed target, hating to have been right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lysithia: I signed up to end a war, not deal with Faerghus personal drama! Urgh!
> 
> Yeah, with Rodrigue comes a LOT of personal drama, including his messy relationship with his son and his relationship with Dimitri and how even he recognized in-game he's not going to be able to do shit to be helpful in getting Dimitri back, and just kinda goes along with his plans. Seriously, dude, if our fav feral boi let anyone parent him, would have been you...but then we ALSO get to have fun with Felix having to deal with his feelings for Bernie while his dad is around, so we get some comedy from the deal.
> 
> The game only brought it up briefly, but it IS a pretty big deal that someone as important from Rodrigue just up and disengaged his forces up North, even if he took the time to do it properly and left his brother in charge. Given how easily the kingdom is steamrolled in all other routes, that's a dangerous gamble to take, even if you have found your lost king. We'll deal with some of that in the next few chapters.


	8. Chapter 8

“There’s a storm coming.”

Dimitri looked to the left, seeing Byleth by the church’s western doors. She appeared to be watching Cyril, Alois, and Belle collecting rubble outside.

“Better now than when we’re on the move,” he said, looking back at the giant pile of yet more rubble that obscured the alter. He laid his hand on it. His ghosts had been quiet tonight. Battle often left them satisfied, for a time.

“Indeed,” Byleth agreed. “I will need to do more research on the bridge before we set out.”

Dimitri nodded. He knew little of the bridge beyond tales of its strength as a fortress. He clenched his fists. He was so _sick_ of delays, of things standing between him and his long-awaited revenge. Had he not suffered enough for it? Bled enough? Given _everything_-

_Not enough, you have not done enough-_

_Where is her head?_

“Dimitri.”

He started. Byleth had walked over to him, and Alois and Cyrus were closing the doors.

“Apologies. I was…lost in thought.”

“Ah. I’m sorry,” she said. “About the bridge?”

He shook his head. Any time he tried to think about it, it was hard to stragegize over the eagerness of the dead to press forward _now_. “Just…thinking.”

“I see,” she said, looking said as she glanced at the closed doors. Ah. She was likely having similar issues. “We should ask for food to be sent up, before the rain grows too troublesome.”

“If you wish,” Dimitri said, not feeling particularly hungry.

.o.o.o.

“What are those?” Felix asked when he found Bernadetta reading papers in the meeting room.

“Your dad gave them to me. Mostly reports on some of the kids I sent to Faerghus with information, you know, how they’re doing and such,” Bernadetta said.

“Surprised you found that many kids in the Empire willing to turn,” Felix admitted.

“People don’t react well when their folks get killed for a stupid war that their Emperor started,” Bernadetta said, frowning. “Or if their folks get locked up for siding with the church over the Emperor.”

“What the hell does Edelgard have against the church?” Felix asked.

Bernadetta shrugged. “She thinks they’ve been lying to manipulate Foldan for thousands of years.”

“…She’s arguing the _church_ are liars. And somehow expected a war waged with that idea to go well,” Felix said, scoffing.

“The church does—or did?—have a lot of power. I think there was other stuff about crests and corrupt nobles and…and, you know, normal political issues I’m pretty sure I heard Claude and Dimitri talked about addressing with _non-war methods_ when we were at school,” Bernadetta said, wrapping her arms around herself. “I just don’t see why she thought she needed a war.”

“Yeah. She’s the _Empress_, she can change things without a war,” Felix said. “Besides, the church wasn’t very strong in the Empire before she started all this, she wouldn’t have needed to go on the offensive nearly this much to work against them…”

Bernadetta shrugged. “I…I think there’s a lot Edelgard kept close to her chest. It feels like there’s something…_personal_ in this for her.”

“Hm. Maybe we’ll find out, maybe we won’t,” Felix sighed.

“Yeah,” Bernadetta sighed, before jumping at a flash of lightning outside the windows. “Oh no.”

“We’ll have to eave the papers here,” Felix said. “The monks should have some cloaks by the church entrance…”

“I think I’ll try to wait it out,” Bernadetta said. “I’m only so far through these, and I need to study my battalion formations anyway…”

“Do you have the materials for that up here?” Felix asked. “I’m behind on that too.”

“Sure, here,” Bernadetta said, smiling as she passed it over.

.o.o.o.

“Were you ever caught out in a storm, during your time on the run?” Byleth asked as she and Dimitri watched the rain fill the pools outside the open balcony door.

Dimitri shrugged. “Often enough.”

“It’s unpleasant, isn’t it?” Byleth asked.

Dimitri nodded, “Yes. When did it happen to you?”

“A fair number of times during my childhood,” Byleth said.

“Ah. I forgot, your lifestyle…you were more nomadic, once,” Dimitri said.

“Yes. But coming here…it felt nice, finding a place like this. People like all of you,” she said wistfully.

“Hm,” Dimitri said, not wanting to dwell on his school days. Of his ignorance of _her_ intentions all along…if only he could go back to before the tomb, to catch her unaware and just…_snap_…

“Dimitri.”

He looked down. He’d grabbed the end of her desk hard enough to crack the wood.

“I wish it was her neck,” he whispered.

“If we continue our current path, you’ll have that soon enough,” Byleth said. Something in her expression confused him.

“Does that worry you?” he asked. “Do you honestly _want_ her alive?”

Byleth shrugged, “I want to know _why_. That would be hard with her dead.”

“You can have Hubert then. She always told him everything,” Dimitri decided.

“I doubt he’d be all that cooperative with her dead,” Byleth noted. “Also, weren’t you and Sylvain plotting ways to quickly kill him?”

“We could adjust to incapacitation, if you so desire,” Dimitri said. “For your…answers. And perhaps mine as well.”

“So, you have questions?” Byleth asked, looking surprised.

“Just…why. Her own _mother_ was there. Why?” Dimitri asked.

“She was as young as you. Her involvement may have been very minor,” Byleth noted. “Those people she’s with…it may have been them. She insisted it was them.”

“Then why is she _with them_?” Dimitri yelled. “They _murdered-_”

“I know. I know,” Byleth soothed gently, and Dimitri stilled at her touch on his cheek. “We will find out why Duscur, why your father, your stepmother, Glenn. We will.”

It always startled him when she touched him. For years, touch had only been attacks, attempts to kill him. He still could not stand most others trying, too wary. But her, a fellow victim of this insanity of Edelgard’s…a fellow seeker of vengeance…_his professor_…he allowed it, and the benediction that came with it.

“…Will her head not quiet them?” he asked warily. If Edelgard’s allies did bear more of the blame, would he then need theirs as well. How many were there? Was this an ancient hyrda with ever-more heads?

_Do you only care for our silence, boy_?

“I don’t know, Dimitri. They do not speak to me,” she confessed. “That is for you, and only you.”

He clenched his fists. “I only wish to bring them their vengeance.”

“I know.”

“…I wish to bring you yours as well,” he added.

“I need it less than they or you,” she said. “I only wish for answers, at this point.”

“And the assurance she will not have you again,” Dimitri said, chest clenching as the reminder made Byleth shudder slightly.

“Yes. That is…yes,” she said, eyes far away before she suddenly stepped away, out into the rain. Dimitri followed her as she strode to the wall of the balcony, looking out over the monastery.

“I’m sorry,” Dimitri said. “You do not remind me of Duscur unduly. I should not have-”

“You’re right. I need that,” Byleth admitted. “I need to know I won’t go back to that tower.” Her nails scraped against the stone, one of those uncharacteristic shows of fear only the memories of the tower brought from her.

“As I said, I will aid you and the mages in burning it to the ground, blowing it to pieces, or whatever else you desire,” Dimitri swore. “It shall cease to exist, and haunt you no longer.”

“One can hope,” Byleth said. “But like your ghosts…will that satisfy my fears? Will that really be the end?”

As they stood in the pouring rain, Dimitri had to confess he did not know. For her sake, for his sake, he hoped their ghosts would be banished with the right actions, with the finality of those actions…but something, some faint echo, made him doubt it.

.o.o.o.

“Did you sleep in here?”

Felix was on his feet with his sword pointing at the intruder—his father. With Sylvain and Ingrid.

Oh. He and Bernadetta had nodded off at the table, studying.

“The book must have been pretty dry,” Sylvain quipped as Ingrid gently shook Bernadetta awake.

“Formations. So many,” Bernadetta admitted, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her stomach growled and she buried her face in her arms in embarrassment.

“I’ll ask for food to be sent up. The meeting is soon,” Rodrigue said, heading out the door.

“Ooh, this idea for ranged fire…I’m going to have to tell my guys that one,” Sylvain said brightly as he skimmed the page they’d left the book open on.

“Do as you like,” Felix said, stretching to try and relieve the pain in his back from sleeping slumped over a table.

Dimitri and Byleth came down from upstairs, the former looking utterly unrested as he leaned against the wall near the head of the table. Felix scoffed. Dimitri never sat, never joined the circle proper when it was everyone. Couldn’t admit he was part of his own damn army.

“Your highness, professor,” Rodrigue greeted upon reentry. Dimitri nodded, while Byleth greeted Rodrigue back.

“So, how are we taking this bridge, anyway?” Felix asked Byleth.

“That’s what we’re going to plan,” Byleth said, heading to a chalkboard and starting to draw a general map of the bridge’s layout.

.o.o.o.

“A major defense of the bridge is this fortress, here,” Byleth said a few hours later, pointing at a small fortress marked on her drawing for the rest of the meeting to see. “It’s a ballista. If we get Ashe or Bernadetta to it, they could turn it against the defenders.”

“It may be a magical ballista,” Rodrigue noted. “In which case, we would need to have a mage capture it instead.”

“Hm,” Byleth mused, looking over the map. “Quite a lot of us have improved our battlefield mobility these days…we should overtake the ballista quickly enough, but there might be constant reinforcements from not only the other side of the bridge, but docks area along the side…”

“We could set the docks on fire?” Sylvain suggested.

“Could make supplying ourselves after the battle tricky,” Byleth sighed. “But if we have to, it could be a good last resort. Sylvain, Dimitri will be riding for this fight. I’ll want you to stay close, if you can.”

“Dancer can keep up with any other horse we’ve got,” Sylvain promised.

“Good,” Byleth said. Dimitri didn’t seem to mind being talked about in such away, then again, he didn’t seem to be paying much attention at all.

“Cyril, Ingrid, you’re our main flyers with Seteth busy maintaining the rear, so I’ll need you to report on the view to me as things change,” Byleth said. “Keeping as much of a working model as possible in my head will assist us greatly. Bernadetta, Felix, Ashe—you three will be their ranged support. Take out enemy archers as soon as you see them.”

Ashe saluted, “You can count on me!”

“All right, now, we need to consider House Glouster’s possible involvement,” Seteth said. “That would give the bridge even more mage and mounted defenders.”

“My parents know Glouster has supposedly sided with the Empire, though rumor has it Lorenz is…not so happy about that choice,” Lysithia said. “If we can isolate their forces, we may be able to convince them to retreat without a fight.”

“The question is whether or not we’ll have the manpower for that…” Byleth sighed. “If we don’t sweep through the first part of the brudge quickly enough, or get ambushed from the rear…”

“Ferdinand’s proved himself a strong commander, so expect to face a plan on his end,” Ingrid advised. “He led some raids on Galatea territory two years ago…he can be slippery, when he wants.”

“Slippery’s no good when you’re on the defensive for a stationary location,” Felix said. “If he slips away, we take the fort.”

“Or if he dies,” Byleth said. “A commander-less, demoralized force would likely surrender rather quickly.”

“Well…then I say we throw our king at him. That’s a way to make anyone end up dead,” Felix admitted, giving Dimitri a mocking glance.

“I will handle him, if that gets us what we need,” Dimitri said when Byleth glanced at him for input.

“Very well. Dimitri, Sylvain, you will focus on Ferdinand,” Byleth said.

“Got it,” Sylvain said. “Probably have to get through a lot to get to him, but Dimitri’s good at cutting paths.”

Felix scowled at him. Sylvain shrugged. It _was_ true. Great. Getting on better with Dimitri was messing up his friendship with his best friend. Just…great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite where I thought this would go. Next time, we hit the bridge and someone FINALLY gets his butt into this story. Also, Sylvain deals with his overdramatic friends. Oh yeah, and they kill people. 
> 
> Regarding Felix and Bernie's musing on Edelgard: While Felix himself is not particularly fervent in his beliefs towards the church, he is from the HOLY Kingdom of Faerghus. Dude grew up around a fuckton of people who are very much Team Church and thus finds Edeglard’s public reasoning baffling. To be fair to Edeglard, the Empire has not held the church in nearly as high esteem as the Kingdom ever since their local church rebelled and the Central Church struck it down. Also, only Emperors know the Modified Story of Nemesis that they pass down (I assume TWS started that rumor several dozen Emperors back). But, anyway, in Felix and the rest of the Kingdom’s eyes, just up and declaring war on The Church looks nothing less of absurd and it’s only Edelgard’s charisma as a leader, significant planning before making her move and the Church’s relative weakness in the Empire that helped her do as well as she had.  
Some of this also ties into the extreme difference the BE route has from all others, given that is the only one where Edelgard is not working from a tremendously strong position from the start of part 2, due to the Church and Kingdom’s strong symbiosis enabling Rhea and her loyal knights to seek shelter there and hold out more effectively together. My guess is that Rhea being captured in all other routes prevents the knights from teaming up with Faerghus as quickly, thus we get more along the lines of divide and conquer scenarios where the kingdom is either knocked flat or split in half while the knights are scattered until your return.


	9. Chapter 9

“Dedue!”

“_Dedue_?”

“It’s Dedue!”

Shouts echoed up and down the field, with even the Imperials seeming stunned by the reappearance of the Tempest King’s closest knight before fighting resumed, the Kingdom taking this as nothing less than a sign from the goddess that their push against the fort was going to succeed and doubling their efforts not to fail.

Sylvain hurriedly roasted an enemy cavalryman who tried to take advantage of Dimitri’s distraction, “Oi, your highness! Let’s not celebrate Dedue’s return by having you die in front of him, okay?”

“Right,” Dimitri agreed.

The smaller knots of battle raged on across the bridge, Byleth, Lysithia, and Ingrid turning away Glouster forces at the docks while Ashe, Bernadetta, and Felix made use of the now-captured midpoint fortress to attack the bridge’s defenders at range. Flayn and Seteth had been caught by a knot of knights at the rear, only to be rescued by Dedue and his battalion charging in to free them. One Duscur solider threw Flayn up on top of a barricade to cast from relative safety while they handled the melee to get Seteth’s wyvern free and flying again.

An archer went to shoot Flayn in her new position, only for Annette to blast him off his feet with Cutting Gale and Gilbert to finish him off. Cyril flew Mercedes over on his wyvern to get everyone healed to keep pressing forward. 

Meanwhile, Sylvain and Dimitri continued their charge right for Ferdinand, Sylvain’s battalion using fire spells to clear their path.

“He can’t take us both!” Sylvain advised, hoping Dimitri would listen and keep pace instead of forcing his horse to rush ahead. It seemed to work, and Ferdinand’s flanking guards were caught between them when they tried to stop them from reaching the commander, both falling quickly.

Sylvain led with fire, to cut off Ferdinand’s escape. Dimitri rushed in the only gap available, lance dealing a heavy blow to Ferdinand and his steed. Sylvain finished off the poor horse with Saggitae, and Dimitri’s next blow sent Ferdinand flying, a massive gash down his front.

Dimitri didn’t even stay to watch Ferdinand hit the ground, already wheeling his steed around to charge down the field, right for Dedue. Sylvain stayed put, assuming it was now his job to accept the fort’s surrender. Dimitri leapt off the horse before it fully stopped, nearly stumbling as he rushed over to his friend.

“You’re alive!” Dimitri said, beaming as he came to a stop in front of Dedue.

“I am,” Dedue agreed.

“How? We were all told…” Byleth said, coming up from behind Dimitri. She’d rushed down the field at a full sprint as soon as the fighting fell still.

“I was rescued by my fellows—men of Duscur. The men we saved years ago,” Dedue said. “But my injuries in the escape were dire, and it was nearly a year before I could get out of bed unaided. Your highness, I would have searched for you sooner if able-”

“Damn having to search for me, you’re alive!” Dimitri repeated, shaking Dedue slightly. “That is what matters now!”

“Alive and with some most excellent backup,” Flayn said, beaming at the Duscur soldiers who had aided her. 

“You arrived just in time,” Byleth agreed.

“Ah. Ashe will never let me live that down, will he?” Dedue noted.

“I in fact will not!” Ashe agreed, rushing from the crowd to hug his friend, Mercedes right behind him to do the same. Dimitri chuckled, letting go of Dedue so their friends could nearly bury the armored knight in hugs and thankfulness—Annette actually _jumping_ on the poor man to do so.

“People, people!” Ingrid scolded halfheartedly, pulling Annette off. “We are in public!”

“Hey, it’s probably good public relations for Dedue’s people to see we love him so much,” Annette said, shrugging. Ingrid tried not to laugh.

Byleth smiled at Dimitri, who had drawn back as the crowd around Dedue grew larger. Even with his reticence, he was obviously pleased to have his best friend back.

“Dedue’s return and fresh soldiers…perhaps it _is_ a sign from the goddess,” Byleth mused.

“Do you really believe that?” Dimitri asked.

“The Sothis I remember…she would have scolded me for looking a gift horse in the mouth,” Byleth said wistfully, smiling softly at the faintest echo of “Darn right!” in her head that may have been only a memory or wishful thinking.

“Hm. Perhaps the goddess is allowed to be obvious,” Dimitri conceded. “Still. A celebration would be far more joyful without a monster about.”

“You would deprive Dedue of your presence after only just finding you again?” Byleth asked. Dimitri stared at her with a wide eye, shocked she’d be so blatant. “Come. You need to eat after the battle.”

“As you say, professor,” Dimitri sighed, letting her lead him.

.o.o.o.

After a quick overnight rest at the now-occupied bridge fortress, the bulk of the Kingdom army set out back for Garreg Mach, to resupply and revaluate their situation with their new allies in the mix.

In addition to Dedue and his followers, there were the forces of House Gloucester, thanks to Ingrid and the professor convincing Lorenz to get his men to stand down instead of being killed against overwhelming odds just to aid an Empire he didn’t really like. Lorenz himself was brought along as a combination ally and hostage, much to Lysithia’s aggravation as he had instantly resumed his attempts to act like an older sibling to her, as he had when they were in the same house at the Academy.

Setting up camp for the first night on the road proved a bit of a challenge—the Gloucester men hadn’t expected it, several Kingdom and Duscur soldiers were still suspicious of each other even with Dimitri’s good graces towards Dedue, and Lysithia had threatened to set Lorenz on fire before Ingrid hauled her away to help with setting up tents instead.

Sylvain looked around for Felix. He hadn’t been able to find him after the fight, and the guy wasn’t near Bernie, Flayn, or any of his usual camp haunts.

“Mercedes? Did Felix already get checked over?” Sylvain asked when he checked the medical tents.

“Hmm? Oh, he was fine, just some bruises,” Mercedes said. “He’s getting better at using his shield.”

“That’s good. Do you…know where he went?” Sylvain asked.

Mercedes nodded. “I asked him to go get some more wood. We need more boiled water.”

“Got it, thanks,” Sylvain said. Wood, huh? Well, that mostly just meant the surrounding area, so he’d better start looking…

After wandering for what felt like forever, made worse by how Sylvain didn’t even know if Felix would want to see him, he found his best friend bundling up some midsize fallen branches.

“Felix, hey!” Sylvain said, jogging over.

“Sylvain.”

Well, he didn’t sound _too_ mad.

“Felix, look, I just wanted to talk,” Sylvain said.

Felix shrugged, tossing him some twine. “Well. You can talk and be useful at the same time. Help.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sylvain said, starting to gather wood as well. “So…look, I know you’re mad at me-”

“I’m _not_ mad at you,” Felix said.

“You’ve been upset since I’ve been training with Dimitri,” Sylvain said.

“I’m not mad at you,” Felix repeated, tying his next knot rather viciously.

“…Mad at Dimitri, then?” Sylvain guessed.

“I’m not mad at him. About _you_, anyway,” Felix said. “I’m…mad at myself. That I can’t come with anything to fix him and then you just…you’re _able_ to…” He huffed and started snatching up branches for a new bundle.

“Felix, whoa, slow down,” Sylvain said. “Since when do you want to flex your social skills?”

“Since it hurts to even _look_ at him!” Felix said, whirling on Sylvain. “Instead I just have to hope you and the professor can fix him, because I can’t be around him for ten fucking minutes sometimes!”

“So?” Sylvain asked. “I can totally see that. Annette can’t be around him without crying, sometimes, and Bernie’s scared as hell of him. You not wanting to be around him is okay, Felix.”

“I’m a shit friend,” Felix sighed, pushing back his bangs.

“You’re not,” Sylvain said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You’ve just got a big soft heart under all your sharp, stabby armor and seeing Dimitri like this makes you miserable. Okay. You being around him but miserable isn’t going to help him any more than you staying away to be less miserable is.”

“…I do not have a soft heart,” Felix huffed.

“Sure you don’t. I _imagined_ you and Bernadetta cooing over the monastery ducks last week.”

“They were being funny,” Felix said defensively.

“Or you chopping up firewood Flayn threw at you just to make her smile?”

“She’s miserable with Rhea being captured and the tests they did with her stolen blood being used to make monsters,” Felix huffed.

“…Lysithea actually got you to eat cake,” Sylvain said.

“She somehow makes cake that tastes good!” Felix snapped.

“_Anyway_, Felix, don’t be mad at yourself because you can’t deal with Dimitri right now. You don’t have to deal with him just because he’s a mess,” Sylvain said. “Forcing yourself to might just make both of you more miserable.”

“…How do you do it?” Felix asked. “How does it not make you miserable?”

“Eh, I’ve always been better at looking on the bright side,” Sylvain said. “Maybe it’s just how I am. Nothing wrong with you that you don’t.”

“Thanks,” Felix said quietly. “I…I’m glad you know I’m not mad at you, though. Come on, let’s get this wood back to Mercedes.”

“Right behind you, buddy,” Sylvain promised.

.o.o.o.

Dedue woke early the next morning. He’d nearly been too excited upon finding Dimitri again to sleep, but the sheer tiredness resulting from rushing into the bridge battle so quickly once he’d spotted it had caught up to him, and Manuela and Flayn had both ordered him to bed. He quickly dressed and stepped outside the tent, careful not to wake anyone he’d been sharing with.

Dedue frowned, spotting the professor sleeping in the grass, Dimitri sitting on a log nearby to tend his lance and javelins. Had they even gone into the tents last night? “Your highness.”

“Dedue,” Dimitri said, giving him a nod with a small upward twitch of his lips. “We should be back at the monastery in a day or two.”

“Good,” Dedue said. “Did you rest well?”

Dimitri shrugged, “Well enough.”

Dedue frowned. That was an obvious deflection, meaning Dimitri had in fact _not_. He decided to confront that later, and instead gave a rather obvious look to the professor, still dozing in the grass.

“…She nodded off,” Dimitri said after a pause that gave away that he was thinking the answer through.

“Clearly,” Dedue said. “I am glad she found you.”

“As am I,” Dimitri said as the professor stirred. “Byleth.”

“Good morning, Dimitri. Oh, Dedue, good morning,” she said, sitting up and rolling her shoulders. Dedue assumed it was from sleeping on the ground, possibly all night. Had Dimitri sat guard the whole time? It was possible.

“I was just informing his highness that I am glad you found him,” Dedue said.

“I’m glad I found him, too,” Byleth said.

“Where were you? We thought you were dead,” Dedue said.

“I was in some sort of…magical coma,” Byleth said. “And captured while I slept by the Empire.”

“They captured you?” Dedue asked, horrified.

Byleth nodded. “I fell into a coma after falling into the ravine. Then…I was in a magical healing sleep for three years. Then two imprisoned. Then escaped.”

“Bernadetta saw the Imperial forces take her, and faked defection back to the Empire,” Dimitri said. “She spied on them for us and helped the professor escape.”

“Ah. I shall have to thank her,” Dedue said. Assuming she was not still terrified of him, of course. She had been rather afraid of him at school…

“You said your own injuries were enough to keep you down for a while. Have they healed?” Byleth asked.

“Well enough,” Dedue said. “Some pain me in the cold, but they are otherwise unnoticeable but for their scars.”

“That is good,” Dimitri said.

“I’d say we’re all used to scars now,” Byleth said, stretching once more.

“War will do that,” Dedue agreed.

Dimitri and Byleth both nodded, and with that the conversation was done. Dedue continued to observe as breakfast as passed around and travelling plans were made throughout the morning. Clearly his king and professor were both greatlt affected by their ordeals since Dedue had seen them last, and even just making simple guesses was enough to worry him.

Dedue decided he was going to need to watch them both carefully. For their sakes.

.o.o.o.

“So. You’re back.”

Dedue looked up from the tent he was helping to mend to see Felix riding a gray mare alongside the wagon. “I am.”

Felix nodded. Dedue wondered if the swordsman was really expecting him to be the one to carry the conversation. He shook his head and went back to his work. He’d volunteered to help Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe with some fabric repairs as a way to try and catch up on the trip back to the monastery.

“Hey, Bernie, Felix has your horse!” Annette said, nudging Bernadetta.

“I said he could,” Bernadetta said quietly. She hadn’t spoken much, keeping her head down over her stitching. Dedue assumed it was because she was indeed still intimidated by him.

“So, going to lighten the professor’s load?” Felix asked Dedue. When Dedue looked at him in confusion, he clarified. “Regarding the boar.”

“Now a king and you still cannot show him respect?” Dedue asked as Annette gave Felix a stern "tsk" and headshake. He’d come to understand Felix cared for Dimitri in his own way during their time as students, but Felix’s insistence on insulting Dimitri, even now with all their king had been through, still rankled him.

On the other hand…Dedue looked forward. The professor rode behind Dimitri, mostly as a need to conserve horses with their new forces on the ride back. He needed information, and if he was to get the unvarnished truth of things…there was no one whose honesty was more brutal than Felix Hugo Fraldarius.

“Perhaps we can discuss this back at the monastery,” Dedue offered after some thinking.

“Hm. Maybe we do understand each other,” Felix said before steering his horse around the wagon, closer to Annette, Ashe, and Bernadetta instead, asking Ashe about a book.

Dedue sat back and returned to his sewing. It looked like his mission to protect Dimitri had a new dimension…and the professor needed protecting as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND HE'S BACK! So happy to have our fav tank back in the story, it's hell without him. Things are going to slow a bit compared to the game timeline, with a lot more buidlup before and after Gronder. 
> 
> Ferdinand dying quickly is an ode to his death not affecting me so much in my first run because I was more sad about having to kill Lorenz, and realized if I'd offed Ferdie first I wouldn't have had to...so yeah, here Sylvain and Dimitri charge him down and Lorenz lives because Dimitri and Sylvain are one hell of a speedy wrecking ball as a Holy Knight/Dark Knight combo. Seriously, without rough terrain they run roughshod everywhere in my current playthrough. There will be aftereffects to killing him, tho.


	10. Chapter 10

Upon the return to the monastery, Byleth and Dimitri accompanied Dedue and the Duscur soldiers to the makeshift barracks in order to make it very clear the newcomers from Duscur had the support of both the king and the acting archbishop. They were met by Alois and his family, who had apparently set to preparing quarters for the newest soldiers once scouts had told of their arrival. Dedue was introduced to Belle and her mother Leona, both of whom were kind to him and his people as Alois loudly waxed poetic about how wonderful it was to have a friend like Dedue back.

Dedue had been unaware they were friends, but went with it.

Dimitri had withdrawn first, seeming uncomfortable with the growing crowd. Byleth had followed shortly after, with a small smile to Dedue as she departed. Dedue had initially prepared to settle in with his soldiers when Felix appeared.

“You said you wanted to know more, right? Come on,” he said before turning and walking off. Dedue followed. That was as close to an invitation as he’d ever gotten from the swordsman.

They ended up in Felix’s room, where Lord Rodrigue and Bernadetta were waiting. Bernadetta gave Dedue a weak wave while Rodrigue greeted him.

“It is good to be back,” Dedue assured Rodrigue, taking a seat on Felix’s bed beside Felix while Rodrigue took the desk chair and Bernadetta leaned on the wall by the closed door. He folded his arms. “But that is not why we are here now. Tell me everything I need to know.”

Rodrigue nodded. “As far as we can tell, Dimitri spent the entire time between your rescue and meeting the professor again alone on the road, often hunting down and attacking Imperials. He will admit to his sense of time being poor, but he thinks he was camped out at the monastery for about three months before the rest of us arrived.”

Dedue closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I tried to find him, but Duscur rebels were mistrusted. My band was never given much information, and instead were forced to rely on rumors and scattered goodwill truths, even after I recovered from my injuries to lead them.”

“I see,” Rodrigue said, looking mildly saddened that their efforts had been hampered by the prejudices of others.

“Professor was in Enbarr,” Bernadetta said softly. “Three years in a magical coma, two awake and imprisoned. Took her about a year to trust me again, and I don’t blame her for that. After that we started escape plans. She’s…not always in great shape, especially off the battlefield. The constant isolation and being locked away…”

“Don’t shut doors around her,” Felix said bluntly. “Also, team up with her to make his boorishness take care of himself. It usually works if she and Mercedes gang up on him. Sylvain and Alois sometimes manage results too.”

“I could tell he has not been…very diligent in that task,” Dedue admitted. Dimitri’s hair was slightly matted looking, and the dark circles under his eyes told of little sleep.

“See? If even you’re willing to scold him, it _must_ be bad,” Felix said. Dedue gave him a look. “Not sorry.”

“Felix!” Rodrigue scolded. Felix glared at his father.

“We all just want Dimitri and the professor to get better,” Bernadetta told Felix softly. “We don’t need to fight.”

Felix huffed but seemed to relent, “Fine. I was…out of line.”

“You do not need to keep picking fights with me,” Dedue said. 

“Yeah. Do whatever it is you do,” Felix said. “Mercedes said she’d come by; let you know what she knows. She’s the only one other than the professor who’s given the boar any sort of once-over.”

“That would be good,” Dedue said, Bernadetta opening the door at a knock that was indeed Mercedes. She beamed upon seeing Dedue.

“It’s still like a dream, having you back,” Mercedes said.

“I assure you, I am here,” Dedue said, confused at why Bernadetta chuckled softly at his reply. He focused on Mercedes, “I understand you have more to tell?”

“Yes, let me show you to the professor’s room,” Mercedes said, leading him out.

“So, you have checked over their physical conditions?” Dedue asked.

“As much as Dimitri would let me,” Mercedes said ruefully. “But they both aren’t eating enough, even now, and neither is getting enough rest, either. Alois is trying to help with that, he can sometimes get Byleth to relax and fish with him, Flayn, or Belle, but she always has so much to do…and Dimitri barely sleeps some nights.”

“That was a struggle for him after the Tragedy as well,” Dedue said as they entered the church and started up the stairs.

“We’ve barely got the professor using a bedroom instead of sleeping in the church pews. She did that for over a month,” Mercedes sighed. “Even with her in a room now, shut the door and she tenses up and can’t sleep. She’s gotten Dimitri to try resting in there too, but some nights he just ends up right back there with his ghosts, and Byleth won’t be far behind.”

“Dimitri…rests with the professor?” Dedue asked, unable to keep the incredulity out of his voice. The Dimitri of their school days would have worked himself into a fit at the very thought, blushing the entire time.

“Yes,” Mercedes said. “I know we all have what we felt about them five years ago, twittering about crushes, but right now I’m having to focus on how it helps them recover. That is my priority.”

“Thank you for your dedication,” Dedue said.

“And you for yours,” Mercedes said. “We were all devastated when Dimitri said you were dead…”

“I am sorry I was unable to make my survival more known,” Dedue said.

“Don’t be, it doesn’t sound like you had a choice,” Mercedes said as they came to the door to the third-floor chambers. “In here. Well, not now, not with the door shut. So I wonder…”

She pushed the door open. As predicted, the room was empty. Dedue took in everything—namely how haphazardly some of the furniture seemed to have been shoved in—two beds, two desks (one clearly unused) and several badly repaired chests, propped open to hold weapons and excess paperwork. The doors were missing from the wardrobe, though a simple tea set was inside along with papers, books, and some more weapons. Spare lances and javelins were in the corner, propped against the wall and the head of one bed. Hooks had been nailed to the wall to hold clothing and a bow.

The window glass was missing from two of the three windows. While the lack of protection irked him, given what he knew of the professor’s status it was entirely understandable. Besides, between that and leaving the balcony door open, it likely promoted a healthy flow of fresh air, always good for clearing the mind. At least it was well over a hundred feet up to reach said windows and balcony from outside…though flight was not an impossibility, and the Skywatch not infallible…

“I’m sure you could talk them into letting you stay the night in here. We _obviously_ haven’t had enough time to get everyone new rooms yet,” Mercedes hinted.

“I believe I shall,” Dedue said, already forming a plan in his mind. Clearly the first thing to do was aid Byleth with Dimitri’s recovery, as taking the strain off her from carrying the entirety would likely aid in hers. While resting, they could plot on reclaiming the throne and killing Edelgard—the latter topic likely pacifying Dimitri while also bring practical.

And he could make them both eat some food.

“A good plan indeed. I shall wait here. Can you have food sent after they return?” Dedue asked.

“Absolutely,” Mercedes said, nodding. She gave him a quick hug before heading out the door and down the stairs.

Dedue sat at the desk, glancing at the map pinned to the wall. Recent skirmishes were bringing them towards Gronder Field. At this rate, the Kingdom would be waiting quite a while for their return…a handful of paths to Enbarr were plotted, with notes from spies scattered along the sides. Apparently, Brigid’s forces were being turned back due to a combination of Imperial and Traitor-Kingdom efforts…

The door reopened and Dedue stood, bowing to Dimitri and Byleth.

“Oh, Dedue! I was wondering where you’d gotten to,” Byleth said. Dedue was heartened to see Dimitri smile briefly upon seeing him.

“I was making sure and Lord Rodrigue had my information as soon as possible,” Dedue said, bowing. “I am sorry you had to hunt for me.”

“I’ll make some tea,” Byleth said, exactly as he intended her to. Good. He hadn’t even needed to hint it.

Dimitri patted him on the shoulder, “I am so…_glad_ you’re alive.”

“I am glad you are as well,” Dedue said.

An odd look flickered across Dimitri’s face as Byleth lit a small fire under the kettle, the kindling in a pot on the floor. Dedue was quite grateful now for the airflow—lighting fires indoors without a kitchen was a bad habit, though he could guess where it had come from. Time alone on the road likely meant making a fire whenever you felt like one. Whenever it was safe. Even in Lady Rhea’s room.

“Do you have a preference?” Byleth asked him.

“Any is fine,” Dedue assured her. “I have asked Mercedes if she could send some food up.”

“You must be hungry, after the battle and travelling,” Dimitri commented.

“Indeed. We all should eat,” Dedue said, disappointed when this got him slightly nervous looks from both his friends. Well. He had spent four years making sure Dimitri ate, he wasn’t going to stop now just because he had to do it for the professor too. “After all, this is a time of celebration. For reuniting.”

“I suppose,” Dimitri conceded. “…Will your men be all right without you?”

“You made it clear they were not to be harmed, your highness,” Dedue assured him.

“Good. The last thing this army needs is infighting,” Byleth said, shaking her head as she poured the tea.

Dedue smelled it before drinking, ah, lavender…a good choice, especially if Dimitri hadn’t been sleeping. “Thank you.”

Dimitri sipped his tea in silence, not looking at either of them. Dedue had never been much of a conversationalist either, but thankfully the professor seemed to enjoy the calm before a knock at the door alerted them to food.

Dimitri mostly picked at his, though a few glances from Dedue got him to at least eat half of it. Not nearly enough, not after a battle and days on the road, but workable. Byleth finished hers, though she took her time with it.

“Mercedes suggested I stay here for the night, until rooms are ready. Would that trouble you?” Dedue asked as he cleared the plates.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t going to sleep anyway,” Dimitri said.

“You _will_ sleep,” Byleth said sternly, before Dedue could say anything. Ah. This seemed to be what Felix had hinted about being able to work together to get Dimitri to take care of himself. “Dimitri, you barely slept a full night since taking the bridge, you need to rest.”

“She is right, your highness. You cannot defeat your enemies if you drop from exhaustion before them,” Dedue reasoned.

“Come, stay with me,” Byleth said, pulling Dimitri towards the larger bed.

Once again, Dedue could not stop himself form thinking of how the Dimitri of years-ago would have reacted to such a thing. Mortification would have been an absolute understatement. The young king in front of him merely scoffed but did as he was bid, lying down on the bed…in full armor.

Dedue weighed his options, before deciding this was a victory. Dimitri was in a bed, after all. He removed his own armor, taking the second bed as Byleth took up a space beside Dimitri. He made no moves for the door, heeding Mercedes’ advice, and simply settled in.

.o.o.o.

Dedue awoke hours later in the dark to find himself the only on in the room. Remembering the advice he’d been given, he pulled on his boots with the intent of going down to the chapel. He stopped when he realized Byleth was on the balcony.

“Professor,” he said, heading out to see her.

“Dedue,” she said. “I needed some air.”

“Where is his highness?” Dedue asked.

“…He needed some time. In the church. I told him I’d fetch him if he was gone too long,” she sighed.

Dedue privately felt that going at all was too long, with how little rest Dimitri had undertaken recently. “Well, I have caught you, so it must have been too long.”

“I’m sorry for not waking you,” she said, heading into the room to toss on her coat before they went for the stairs.

“Do not be. You have a…routine.”

“You know it’s not a good one,” Byleth noted ruefully.

“True. And so do you,” Dedue said. “Perhaps so does he. I was told he…sees ghosts?”

Byleth nodded. “…Did he ever? Before all this?”

“Never waking, only nightmares, or when sleepwalking—no. That is not true. Once or twice. After the unmasking of the Flame Emperor,” Dedue said. “Once or twice I found him awake and…speaking to air.”

“I worry about him. They do not treat him kindly, whether they are real or not,” Byleth said.

They entered the church. Dedue’s heart clenched at the sight of his friend, his king who had endured _so much_, begging and pleading to thin air, swearing oaths of blood and vengeance.

“Your highness.”

Dimitri stiffened, before shaking his head and turning to face them. “Dedue?”

“You must rest. I would not interrupt such…important negotiations normally, but you _must_ rest,” Dedue implored.

He did not like the look in Dimitri’s eye. So lost and confused.

“Come,” Byleth said. “Dedue is right.”

She extended her hand, and several excruciating minutes passed before Dimitri seemed to properly focus on it. He nodded, taking her hand.

“If they truly must speak to you, surely they are capable of doing it upstairs as well,” Dedue said. While he did not wish to encourage these ghosts, preventing Dimitri from going up and down several flights of stairs every night would surely aid with resting properly. Keeping him near Byleth instead of going off alone might also be an aid…

Apparently his words had some effect, because while Dimitri went to argue he seemed to have trouble getting words out beyond the first “But-” while Byleth nearly dragged him to the stairs, their held hands acting as a firm lead. Dedue brought up the rear.

“Do you have business in the morning?” he asked.

Byleth shook her head. Dimitri ignored him.

“Good. You should take the time to rest more,” Dedue said. “I can ask for breakfast to be brought to you.”

Perhaps tomorrow he could get a better grasp on just exactly how the professor was overworking herself when off the battlefield…allegedly Dimitri was not doing the same, but his sleeplessness might have prevented him from contributing much to begin with.

Dimitri again got into the bed with the majority of his armor on, at least removing the boots and gauntlets this time. To Dedue’s surprise Byleth curled against the king despite the metal, laughing softly when Dimitri made a halfhearted remark about how it couldn’t be comfortable for her. This was, perhaps, a topic that had come up many times before.

Dedue shook his head before getting into bed himself. Were they not so obviously in need of help, he would go to fhirdiad and dispatch Cornelia on his own, and then to Enbarr to _shake_ the Emperor and demand what the hell she’d been thinking, doing this to the professor. He glared at the open door…no, no, he was needed here. A knight did not abandon his post because he had other things he wished done.

Especially when his post had so many pressing demands itself. Still…it was good to be back where he belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedue: Look, friends, I realize you have your coping mechanisms...but some of them are Bad and we're modifying them. Tonight. 
> 
> While Byleth and Dimitri did improve a bit after getting their room, they were also still continuing their bad habits, some of which the room enabled (to be fair, that compromise was how they got them in the room to start with). Byleth going out for fresh air isn't too bad...but Dimitri going up and down several flights of stairs to go get yelled at by ghosts when he's supposed to be resting is very much Not. Plus he is a little confused by his ghosts at the moment, since Dedue was among them...until he turned out to be alive. So Dimitri is very much under the Confused status effect right now. 
> 
> Felix: I'm going to help but I will still be prickly about it.   
Yes. Yes you will, Felix. 
> 
> Next time: late morning at the monastery with bonding, teasing, and Alois going on a Dad Joke tear.


	11. Chapter 11

Dedue managed to convince Dimitri and the professor to rest late in the morning by promising food would be sent and he’d speak to Seteth and Gilbert about Byleth moving the meeting until the afternoon. Well, that and listing how problems could arise from exhaustion, both medical and social.

When they were still at school, Dimitri had admitted the only time he ever regretted helping Dedue learn to read the language of Fodlan was when Dedue had found books that let him out-argue Dimitri on personal care. Going by the professor’s current expression, she shared the king’s sentiment. Still, they agreed to heed his wishes that they please rest, and Dedue set off for breakfast.

He informed the kitchen that things would need to be sent up, before finding his battalion and beinging them into the dining hall. He had expected them to be left alone—they were Duscur, after all—but Sylvain and Ashe immediately moved over to their table.

“It’s still great just seeing you, man,” Sylvain said at Dedue’s questioning look, shrugging before cheerfully digging back into his bread and eggs.

“We’re really glad to have you back. And reinforcements are always good!” Ashe said, grinning at Dedue’s companions.

Dedue smiled at his old friends’ attempts to make his new friends feel welcome. Doubtless there would be several of the kingdom who would be less kind, but this…

People filtered out after breakfast, and Dedue decided to head for the greenhouse, wondering how it had fared. Ingrid caught him on his way in.

“Dedue! There you are!” she said. “Come, I want to show you something.”

“Might I check the greenhouse first?” he asked.

“It’s _in_ the greenhouse. Mercy and the professor will probably too embarrassed to,” Ingird said, leading him inside with a wide smile. Dedue was curious as to why she seemed to pleased until she stopped and gestured and was quite happy himself to see what it was.

Dedue smiled in relief at some flowers growing behind a raised tile, “The flowers! Ah, they made it.”

“What? Oh, yes, your Duscur flowers,” Ingrid said. “And what is in _front_ of those flowers?”

Dedue leaned closer at the tile—it looked like one that had come off the roofs, but cleaned and with writing on it, held aloft above the dirt by bent metal stakes.

_In Memory of Dedue Molinaro, one of the truest knights in all of Fodlan_.

“A…memorial,” Dedue said, deeply touched.

“Mercy’s idea. Professor wrote it and Dimitri bent the stakes for them to hold it up properly,” Ingrid said. “There was talk of maybe getting a proper plaque, down the line.”

“I…thank you for letting me know.” Dedue felt overwhelmed. In a sense, he had known he would be missed, but _this_…

“Ingrid, you didn’t!”

Dedue and Ingrid turned to see a red-faced Mercedes at the front of the greenhouse. Ingrid grinned. “Had to get to it before you took it out.”

“You _didn’t_!” Mercedes repeated, rushing forward. “Ah, Dedue, we-”

“It was a very kind gesture,” Dedue assured her. “I am very honored.”

“I…I…oh, thank goodness,” Mercedes muttered, still blushing deeply. “_Ingrid_. Really!”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Ingrid said, giving Mercedes a big smile as she headed for the doors.

“I am not upset,” Dedue assured Mercedes. “It was…I appreciate it. Greatly.”

“I know, but’s so embarrassing to have you just…be led to a memorial for yourself,” Mercedes said, shaking her head. “I…at least your flowers are doing well.”

“Yes. I am pleased they have survived,” Dedue said.

“The professor and I were so happy when we found them,” Mercedes admitted. “Even Dimitri seemed pleased they made it, and not much made him happy at the time.”

“Then I am doubly glad. His highness can use all the happiness he can find in times like these,” Dedue said.

“I agree,” Mercedes said.

“So, we have confirmed the flowers I brought from Duscur made it. What else has managed?” Dedue asked, before a new visitor startled him and Mercedes.

“Oh, he found it.”

Dedue and Mercedes turned to see Byleth walking into the greenhouse, looking mildly interested. Her serenity sent them both into laughter, much to their poor professor’s confusion.

“Was it something I said?”

.o.o.o.

They tended the greenhouse together until the bell chimed for lunch. Byleth was glad to have Dedue back, his presence a comfort as she and Mercedes tended the plants. Bernadetta even slipped in for a brief checkup on the handful of carnivorus plants Byleth had requested be brought in specifically to lure their friend out of her room and to the greenhouse now and then. She’d used the excuse that they would help keep bugs under control.

Still, Bernadetta hadn’t stayed long and it was mostly the three of them. Byleth knew Mercedes and Dedue were both watching her, assessing if she was all right. It was both comforting and slightly irritating, but she knew their hearts were in the right places.

Dedue and Mercedes had more exacting standards for the plants than she, so that sometimes gave her time to observe them instead. Dedue seemed pleased to pick up close to where he’d left off, both with the greenhouse and with Mercedes herself. Mercedes had been one of the students who was closest to him, but Byleth wondered if it had ever been something deeper. Bernadetta seemed to think so, giggling with glances at the duo working together to prune some of the sturdier herbs while she was on her way out.

They made their way to the dining hall. The doors were all thrown open on the beautiful day, so Byleth did not feel too enclosed at the thought of sharing a meal inside. Lunch was often the easiest, for that reason.

“Have you and your men been settling in well?” she asked Dedue.

“Yes. I am grateful you and his highness made it clear they were to be treated well,” Dedue said.

“Oh, good. I’d hate to think of anyone being rude to the people who brought you back to us,” Mercedes said.

“Quite the opposite—which it seems Sylvain has already taken to with gusto,” Dedue said with a smile as he caught sight of their friend and some of his men seated together.

“Ah, I see,” Byleth chuckled at the sight of Sylvain happily and loudly chatting with Dedue’s battalion of Duscur soldiers. Ingrid was also seated at the table, though she wasn’t nearly so loud.

“Hey, professor! You remember Roscoe, right? I set his axe on fire five years ago!” Sylvain called across the hall, slapping the back of the man next to him as they both laughed.

“And then you screamed when I swung at you with a flaming axe!” Roscoe said smugly.

“I was _startled_, man!” Sylvain defended weakly. “And then Ingrid chased you down!”

“Oh, I was supposed to outrun her pegasus?” Roscoe asked in mock-offense.

“…And Roscoe is?” Byleth whispered to Dedue.

“Lancer and healer. And possibly…‘our’ Sylvain,” Dedue admitted.

“You did run very fast,” Ingrid assured Roscoe before going back to talking to a woman with a large bow strapped to her back.

“I’m glad to see everyone getting along,” Mercedes said, smiling.

“My friends have made quite the effort to make my newer compatriots feel welcome,” Dedue said, smiling. “It is very kind of them.”

“Yes. We don’t need any divisions in our army,” Byleth agreed.

“Do you think his highness has had lunch?” Dedue asked.

“Alois took him some food in the church. He usually talks at Dimitri until Dimitri eats,” Byleth said, sitting at a quieter table with Lysithea. “…Or until hours have passed and the food is no longer good.”

“He tries,” Lysithea agreed.

“I see. A commendable effort,” Dedue said. “I shall inform him of my own methods.” He took a plate of food and set off for the church to see Alois and Dimitri.

“I’m glad things are going well for the moment,” Byleth said. “I’ll admit, I worried of tensions over Dedue’s group.”

“You and the King of Faerghus were very clear, Lady Archbishop,” the woman talking to Ingrid said. “Which we thank you for.”

“You’re welcome,” Byleth said, moderately rattled to be addressed as the Archbishop. While she did technically hold the role, no one addressed her as such…likely because Rhea had transferred it shortly before they both went missing, she presumed. “And please, if you must use a title, I prefer Professor. I am only the acting Archbishop until Lady Rhea is found.”

She wondered why Rhea had been so sure about giving her the role…why Rhea claimed she had been waiting for her…had it really been _Sothis_ Rhea was waiting for? Sothis would have made a terrible archbishop, she was a child!

But even thought she was childish, Byleth missed her greatly…

“Professor, you all right?” Sylvain asked.

“Just…reminded of how little we’ve heard about Rhea,” Byleth lied. “And wondering why she selected me over Seteth.”

“I’ll admit, you are not the only one,” Ingrid admitted. “But it’s what was done.”

“Yes,” Byleth said. “Excuse me, I promised Gilbert and Seteth I’d work with them this afternoon.”

She took her food and headed out of the dining hall. Even the breeze outside wasn’t enough to stop the feeling of unease her thoughts had brought.

.o.o.o.

“Very good, _very_ good!” Hanneman laughed, clapping as Bernadetta made another shot. “Excellent work! We’ll make Bow Knights out of you yet!”

“We are getting better,” Ashe told Bernadetta, grinning.

“I hope so. Cloudy’s had to put up with a lot from me,” Bernadetta said, patting her mare on the head.

“Still, she’s way better at evasion than Pierre here,” Ashe said, gesturing to his gelding. “Poor guy’s taken ten ‘arrows’ since we started practice today.”

“To be fair, he’ll have armor in the field,” Bernadetta said.

“Dodging is always better than taking a hit,” Ashe sighed, shaking his head before looking up with a grin. “So that’s why we’ll keep at it!”

“Right!” Bernadetta said.

.o.o.o.

“I feel bad for the king. He’s always so sad,” Belle whispered to Flayn. They’d gone to clean the statues of the saints, and had an easy view out of the alcove to Alois, Dimitri, and Dedue.

“The past weighs very heavily on him. He…reminds me of Rhea, like that,” Flayn admitted.

“Huh? Lady Rhea had a hard past?” Belle asked.

Flayn nodded, “My brother does not like to speak of it, but he was there with her when…something terrible was done. I know they avenged it, but…I’m not sure Lady Rhea was able to move on.”

“Wait, but doesn’t the king want to avenge too?” Belle asked, before looking worried. “Oh no! Will it not help him either, like Lady Rhea?”

“What’s this about Lady Rhea?”

Belle and Flayn both jumped at Cyril’s appearance.

“I…Flayn said the king reminds her of…_her_,” Belle said awkwardly.

Cyril looked confused. “Really? How?”

“Carrying the weight of the past,” Flayn said, shrugging. 

“Oh. I guess I don’t know much about Lady Rhea’s past…” Cyril admitted. “So why are you talking back here?”

“Cleaning the statues,” Belle said.

“…Sure ya are,” Cyril muttered, giving the statues a once-over. He grabbed some of their supplies. “Look, I’ll handle it if ya just want to watch them.”

“What? Do you accuse us of spying?” Flayn demanded, snatching the cltich from Cyril’s hands and stalking over to the statue of Saint Cichol.

“What? I…uh…” Cyril said, looking hopelessly at Belle. The little girl grinned at him, picking up a cloth and going towards Saint Indetch.

“It’s rude to accuse people of things, Cyril,” she teased.

“I _wasn’t_!” Cyril said.

“What is going on back here?”

The trio turned to see Seteth.

“…Cleaning?” Flayn offered.

“I’m sure,” Seteth sighed. “Well. Four people, Four Saints. We shall be done quickly, and then you can aid us in the meeting room instead of gossiping around corners.”

“Brother!” Flayn whined.

.o.o.o.

Alois chuckled as Seteth entered the Saints’ alcove. “Say, how many people does it take to polish the statues of the four Saints?”

“…I do not know,” Dedue said warily, aware it was the setup for a joke.

“Neither do I, but it looks like someone’s dead-_Seteth_ to find out!” Alois declared, laughing.

“Ah. I see,” Dedue said. The joke did get a slightly baffled glance from Dimitri, so at least he was aware of their presence, whether or not his ghosts were about.

“I saw a smile there! I knew I’d get one from you one day!” Alois said, pointing at Dedue.

“It was so bad it was mildly funny,” Dedue admitted.

“Yeesh. He said the same thing, back in the day,” Alois said, gesturing at Dimitri. “Everyone’s a critic.”

“I do not mean to criticize. Your efforts towards levity are greatly appreciated,” Dedue assured him.

“Ah, thank you. You know, I do like to _elevate_ the mood,” Alois said.

Dedue frowned. He did not understand that one.

“Oh…worse?” Alois sighed. “Darn it, will have to rework that one…”

.o.o.o.

“I swear, Felix, if you keep doing this to yourself, Manuela will have banned from the training grounds!” Mercedes sighed, shaking her head.

“I just strained a muscle. A little,” Felix huffed.

“You need to learn to not push yourself this hard…” Mercedes sighed. “We only just got back from battle. Shouldn’t you rest?”

“I need to train,” Felix said.

“Felix, please,” Mercedes said. “You know when you get like this it makes everyone worry.” She wagged her finger at him. “Don’t make me tell Sylvain and Lysithea…”

“Tell me what?”

They turned to see Lysithea in the doorway to the infirmary.

“Oh, that Felix is over-training again,” Mercedes sighed dramatically.

“I _am not_!” Felix said.

“The ginger way you’re moving tour sword arm says otherwise,” Lysithea said bluntly. “Felix, we have a major battle coming up, and make sure not to work yourself to exhaustion-”

“Oh, this coming from Miss I Do Schoolwork Until Fainting?” Felix asked with a scowl.

“I have not trained until fainting since this war began! How dare you!” Lysithea said. “That’s it! We’re having Black Magic Club every night this week, and if training makes you too tired to attend I will have Sylvain and Annette forcibly distract you from it!”

“Hey, get back here!” Felix called after Lysithea as she stormed out. “What is with you people?”

“We love you, Felix,” Mercedes said, patting him on the head with a smile. “Really it was this or letting Manuela tie you to a bed for a few days.”

“…She _would_,” Felix scowled, settling back to take his forced “rest” for a few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monastery time!
> 
> As promised, more Dedudes. Turns out Ingrid ships it too! Meanwhile Sylvain is Team Duscur Integration, Felix is his over-training self, Flayn needs to not overshare secrets, Byleth still has issues, and Alois is Alois.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the paralogue Eternal Guardian

“The real trouble is, everyone going into this knows the terrain,” Byleth said as the strategy meeting continued. “Including all three commanders. We’ll have to be careful not to repeat any strategies from when it was merely a mock battle.”

“Well, we’re not forced to only bring so many people,” Felix said. “Since it’s now a damn war and all.”

“True,” Byleth said. “However, just the angles we’re entering the field from should put us in similar positions to back then, which will sadly give the Empire access to the ruins in the northeast and possibly any remaining barricades…”

“Don’t forget, it’s been Empire territory for years now,” Lysithea warned. “They could have altered it in that time.”

“Why alter it?” Dedue asked, curious.

Lysithea shrugged, “In case the Bridge of Myyrden fell? Or to move the fortifications elsewhere? There’s plenty of possibilities.”

“Plus, it being in Empire territory means they might get there first and fix the fortifications, if any are in disrepair…” Ingrid mused, going over an old map of the field.

“We have a lot of preparations to do before moving out,” Gilbert said. “However, these are all important things to keep in mind. If anyone thinks of anything else, please bring it to Seteth, the Professor, or myself. Dismissed.”

.o.o.o.

“So what’s this about a…bolt axe?” Bernadetta asked warily as she and Felix headed from the dorms to the training grounds.

“Urgh. New weapon Annette took off an enemy mage,” Felix sighed. “Hits harder if she puts magic behind it and shoots lightning. So it’s a Levin Sword, but an axe.”

“And she wants me to…try and shoot her,” Bernadetta added slowly.

“I’m just the messenger,” Felix said.

“…Black Magic Club is weird,” Bernadetta decided as they pushed the doors to the training grounds open in time to hear a shrieked “Get out!”

Felix’s sword practically drew itself and swung up ready to eviscerate whoever had made Lysithea scream…which was Lorenz. Bernadetta looked between Lorenz and Lysithea in confusion, before at Sylvain and Annette. They seemed as stunned as he was.

“You heard her,” Felix ordered Lorenz, jerking his head at the doors. “Out.”

“I was merely trying to assist in-”

“You’re a prisoner of war. Don’t tempt me about tossing you in a cell,” Felix growled.

“I’m an ally,” Lorenz pointed out.

“You’re a hostage until your dad makes nice with the rest of the Alliance and goes against the Empire. Get,” Felix said.

“Get!” Lysithea echoed, pointing at the doors.

“What happened?” Bernadetta quietly asked Annette as Lysithea and Felix continued trying to glare Lorenz out.

“Lorenz offering to help her too much. You know she doesn’t like that,” Annette whispered back.

“Also kind of treating her like a kid. Instant death,” Sylvain added as Felix’s obvious intent-to-slice finally had Lorenz throwing up his hands and stalking out. “See, Felix treats her like a little sister in a way she likes: by helping her defeat her enemies.”

“…It’s _Lorenz_, Sylvain,” Annette said dryly.

“I never said it made sense!” Sylvain defended.

“What are you three whispering about?” Lysithea asked.

“How best to shoot me?” Annette offered, patting Bernadetta on the shoulder with a grin.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get the training arrows.”

.o.o.o.

“I need to speak with you.”

Seteth started slightly. “Professor. I didn’t hear you come in.”

Byleth sighed, “Seteth, I know…I know about you and Flayn, and you’ve said we’re practically family. I have a name.”

“My apologies, Byleth. I…can see how my using your title in private may have been…disquieting,” Seteth said. “Did you need something?”

Byleth shut the door. Seteth was surpised to see that, and could tell she hadn’t liked it, eyes flicking around the room involuntarily.

“I can move away from the windows,” he offered, giving her the chance to stand there instead.

She took it, leaning on the glass. “You said…you said I needed to hear some things from Rhea.”

“I did,” Seteth said.

“Let us assume…I already know some of those things…like that she did something to me as a child,” Byleth said slowly. “And that the Emperor figured out, by stealing my father’s journal, what was done as well.”

“Edelgard knows?” Seteth asked, horrified.

“So if you could confirm some things for me…I believe it would help,” Byleth said. “She called…she reffered to the Children of the Goddess and implied both you and Rhea were in that number. And that you’ve been secretly controlling Fodlan. For over a thousand years.”

“I…see. Well, Rhea has given it her best effort, but controlling a whole continent is next to impossible. She may have been trying, be she is one woman,” Seteth said.

“If you are Cichol and Flayn is Cethleann…is Rhea Seiros herself?” Byleth demanded.

“Yes. Seiros in the flesh…and my sister,” Seteth said. “Sothis, the goddess, was our mother.”

“You…your _mother_?” Byleth asked.

Seteth nodded, “She and the rest of our family were massacred ages ago. Only Seiros and the Four Saints survived. Seiros…Rhea never really recovered from it. She did her best to ensure our mother’s protection lived on, but…well. Her methods can be questionable. Especially involving…you.”

“So you know why she experimented on me. A baby,” Byleth said, folding her arms and giving him a dark look that he had to admit was entirely deserved. After all, he’d tried to put off telling her for…well, his own sake, really.

“I hardly know where to start, or if I’m only confirming what you know, but I will tell you everything,” Seteth said. “I suspect Rhea knew who you were the second she laid eyes upon you, though I only began to realize shortly before the monastery fell. In any event, your understanding of the basics is correct, it started because we lost your mother. You were stillborn and Rhea revived you with the use of a crest stone. Likely the reason it worked was your mother, and through her, you, possessed a connection to Sothis herself.”

“But I am not Sothis, and Rhea…meant for me to be a vessel,” Byleth said.

“I know Rhea meant your _mother_ to be a vessel, but for some reason it did not work. Perhaps she then put her hopes in you,” Seteth mused. “But yet again, it did not work, as we saw when you sat upon the throne.”

“Sothis was gone by then. To save me from a trap, we…merged? Or perhaps merged our powers?” Byleth said, shaking her head. “I do sense she’s still…there. I hear her once in a great while, but we cannot communicate like we used to.”

“Still, with how Rhea was acting upon meeting you again, I now think Jeralt was wise to do what he did. Rhea heaped so much onto you so quickly…I feel she was perhaps becoming desperate,” Seteth said.

“After so many hundreds of years?” Byleth asked.

“I…do not always understand my sister. But what she intended…she thought Sothis _had_ to return for true peace to occur,” Seteth said. “An incorrect notion, but given how the Red Canyon traumatized her…”

“I’ve seen what tragedies can do to people,” Byleth said. 

“Indeed,” Seteth said, knowing she referred to the king. “She missed our mother…very deeply.”

“Do…do you wish to know about the Sothis I knew?” Byleth asked. “She was a child. An impish girl with no memory, but an imperious nature. She did not recognize Rhea, or you, or Flayn, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Ah. Interesting,” Seteth said, looking saddened. “My mother was certainly no child when she was killed…”

“So why did her spirit incarnate as one to me?” Byleth asked.

“I do not know. Perhaps that was what remained of her soul, tethered to the crest stone. Perhaps the goddess who watches over us did not want to overwhelm you with her full being. Perhaps it was simply what happened,” Seteth said, his shoulders shifting in a helpless shrug. “We may never know.”

“…I wish to go down to the throne again. Just to…try,” Byleth said.

“To try what?” Seteth asked.

“To see if I can speak to her again,” Byleth said. “If she has…any input.”

“The tomb is underground. I wonder…could you bear it?” Seteth asked.

“I’ll bring friends,” Byleth assured.

.o.o.o.

“I need your help.”

Dimitri looked over at Byleth. “What has happened?”

She frowned, before squaring her shoulders and facing him properly, “I need to go to the tomb. I need you to come with me.”

“The…tomb?” Dimitri asked.

“With the throne. I need…I need to try something,” Byleth said.

“Very well,” Dimitri said, straightening. “To the tomb, then.”

They headed into the back of the church, towards the door they’d often seen knights stand guard over during the time this was an Academy, towards the door they’d descended into for a revelation that never came…from the goddess, anyway. There had been a revelation of another kind, that night.

Byleth paused at the threshold. The stairs went down, down into a room deep beneath the earth. A solid room with no windows, walls of stone, and few lights…

“Can you continue?” Dimitri asked.

She nodded. The only person at her back, between her and the door, was someone who would move if asked. Someone she could trust to get her out. “Yes.”

They started down the stairs, towards the main landing.

“What do you intend to try?” Dimitri asked.

“I have a…feeling. About the throne,” Byleth said. “I now know what Rhea thought would happen if I sat on it.”

“A revelation?” Dimitri asked.

“A change,” Byleth said. “She…thought I was Sothis. Or that Sothis would become me. She was mistaken…but I did _know_ Sothis.”

“Rhea believed you were the goddess come again?” Dimitri asked, frowning. “…That explains some of her unusual actions.”

“Some,” Byleth agreed, only to stop dead in her tracks at three huge shapes moving about the tomb. Dimitri growled, readying his lance as they stared at the clockwork monsters.

“What…are those?” Byleth asked slowly.

Dimitri shook his head, as baffled as she was.

“Did Rhea leave them?” Byleth wondered. “There’s no signs of anyone else having come down here…”

“How would she have had the time?” Dimitri asked. “After…the incident in the tomb…_that_ _woman_ attacked within a month.”

“Unless they were already down here…the monastery already hid the tomb,” Byleth mused. “Why not these?”

“If Rhea intended you to find this…and them…will they fight you?” Dimitri wondered.

“Hm. May be a bit much to risk,” Byleth muttered. “But I need to know.”

She and Dimitri went towards the stairs at the left side of the platform, backtracking the steps they’d taken to attack the Flame Emperor so many years ago, in what felt almost like a dream at this point…

As soon as they reached the stairs, the nearest machine turned towards them.

Dimitri slowly shifted Areadbhar into a more defensive position. Byleth left the Sword of the Creator on her back, not wanting to provoke the odd guardian.

“If it attacks, treat it like a giant monster. Attack the same point until you’ve created a weak spot and then exploit it,” she told Dimitri quietly as the guardian approached.

The creature sat in front of them, unmoving, but blocking their way. Byleth gesturing for Dimitri to try and go around it, and they both started to the left only for the creature to move in their way again.

“It seems it will not let us pass,” Dimitri growled.

“Yes. Very well,” Byleth said, drawing her sword. “Let us begin.”

The puppet swiped at her as soon as she was armed, but she dodged. Dimitri backed up before rushing in with his relic, the added space giving him the speed to slam into his opponent with enough force to knock it back. It swiped at him next, but failed.

“It’s a poor combatant,” he noted.

“We likely don’t know everything yet. Stay on it,” Byleth said, whipping her sword out and using it to slice off one arm.

The guardian backed up further, and then it made what looked like a javelin of light and hurled it at Dimitri, who only barely dodged.

“Stay on it!” Byleth repeated frantically, realizing it was more deadly at range and that they’d attacked another guardian’s attention. Dimitri understoof and they both rushed in close to repeatedly attack the first guardian until it fell over, sparking.

“What _is_ that thing?” Dimitri asked in disgust before yelped as another light javelin caught him in the side. Byleth grabbed him, hauling him behind the body of the first guardian as cover while the second approached.

She healed him, frowning. “More dangerous at range…we should try to keep cover until-”

Something, presumably another javelin, struck the downed guardian and it nearly toppled on them. They made a run for the caskets.

“My spells only have so much range!” Byleth said.

“Mine are similar—it can hit us before we can it,” Dimitri huffed.

“We’ll have to hope cover works and—damn!” Byleth hissed as it blew up the casket with another javelin. “Fine. Rush it!”

They both charged in. Byleth took a javelin on the way, but kept running. After getting in and striking it with Areadbhar, Dimitri grabbed Byleth and pulled her in closer for a healing spell of his own while she focused on shooting Thunder through the guardian.

This guardian was a little smarter, and instead of swiping to attack backed up slightly and unleased a barrage of light, knocking them both down. Byleth rolled to her feet first, armor slightly smoking from the attack, and struck back with the Sword of the Creator. While it damaged the puppet’s armor at last, this time its swipe hit her and knocked her back, into Dimitri.

A short axe sailed over their heads and embedded into the guardian’s head, toppling it.

“Dedue!” Dimitri said.

Dedue and Mercedes hurried over, Mercedes looking Byleth and Dimiti over with worried eyes, “What in the world are you doing down here?”

“I wanted to test the throne…it seems Rhea left some security,” Byleth said.

“You should have come back for assistance,” Dedue scolded. “These are too much to take on alone, especially in a battlefield with little to no cover.”

“Agreed, my friend,” Dimitri said. “Still…there is only one beast to fell.”

“Let me heal you both first,” Mercedes said. “I’m sure you were both healing each other, but my white magic is stronger.”

“Have you noticed any particular weaknesses?” Dedue asked as he drew his main axe.

“They almost seem to prefer attacking at range. Energy javelins,” Byleth said. “Up close, something as small as a person seems harder for them to hit…unless it backs up and unleashes a large blast.”

“I see,” Mercedes said as she finished healing them. “Well, let’s get up close and personal, then!”

They all rushed the final guardian, which struggled with four opponents at once and quickly fell to Dimitri, Byleth, and Dedue’s ferocious blows. Mercedes kept everyone standing, and they were able to survey their handiwork.

“I’ve never seen the likes of these before…” Mercedes said, inspecting the guardian now that it was defeated.

“Yes. It makes one wonder what else the church has has access to,” Dedue mused. “Well, professor. The throne is yours.”

“What is it you have planned?” Dimitri asked quietly as he followed her up the steps. “Truly?”

“What?” Byleth asked once they were out of their friends’ hearing.

“All this to speak to someone?” Dimitri asked.

“I need to…prove something,” Byleth said as she reached the throne. “To myself.”

“…It’s a chair,” Dimitri muttered as she sat in it. “Byleth. What will it prove?”

She smiled at him softly, “That I am not Sothis.”

“…No…?” Dimitri offered, looking utterly confused. “No you are…not? Professor, this is…” He shook his head, muttering under his breath.

Byleth hoped his ghosts had not found him down here. “Let us leave it at…there are those who expected me to be.” She put her hand on her heart.

“The crest stone?” Dimitri asked. “Someone thought you were…was it _her_?”

Byleth shrugged, which didn’t seem to help his anger. “Perhaps. But it was Rhea, as we discussed. And…and even me, at times, wondering who I _really_ was.”

“You are Byleth Eisner,” Dimitri said bluntly.

“Even now, you see me rather well,” Byleth noted, smiling at Dimitri’s simple insistence.

Dimitri said nothing, which she took as an invitation to continue. “Before coming to the monastery, I was considered some sort of demon in human form. An emotionless killer. Utterly inhuman. So could I not be a mere vessel for something greater?”

This drew a light scoff. “_Mere_.” It seemed Dimitri was very against her word choice.

“Remember who you first met, Dimitri Blayddid,” Byleth scolded. “Someone you thought had no compassion or trustworthiness because my face never seemed to change. It was through knowing all of you I was able to grow, to become who I truly am. I changed the entire time I was teaching, and perhaps I change even now. Because I am human. Because I am not some vessel for something else…I am myself.”

Dimitri gave her a small smile, before looking off to the side, seeming upset.

“And yet you cannot change me.”

“No. Only you can.”

“Don’t make it sound so simple.”

“It’s not, and I would never say it was,” Byleth took a deep breath, hands curling into firsts at her sides. “But you can make an effort. Starting with tonight, if you want. _You_ can make that change.”

“You act as though I wish to be a monster,” Dimitri scowled.

“Because it is easier to be a monster,” Byleth said. “But you are not a monster, Dimitri. You are a man. Something I know just by looking at you.”

Dimitri stared at her, looking lost. “I…I do not know what you are looking at, then.”

“Take your time,” Byleth said. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.”

They rejoined Dedue and Mercedes and headed back out of the tomb to the world above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frankly there's enough going on in some of Byleth's conversations with other people about her life in game that make it clear even she's not sure if she's Jeralt's daughter or not, much less other things about herself. After being held captive for what she is and all of Rhea's bullshit pressure, you can see her wondering if she really IS Sothis, especially after they "merge". So while she did kinda hope to hear from Sothis again, she also had to prove to herself that what happened during the revelation ceremony wasn't a fluke and she really is herself, not some 'just a vessel'.
> 
> Dimitri is totally down to fight shit for Byleth. He is also down to fight shit for Dedue, if Dedue asks. Dedue won't ask, but Dimitri will totally do it. Right now Dedue and Mercedes are both in Exasperated Mom Friend Mode, and will be dragging these idiots to Manuela post-haste. 
> 
> Also, as someone who got thru Seteth's support chain...Seteth, I love you, but fuck you for being all "I totes figured it out but wait til we get Rhea so that things only get revealed on certain routes" and shit. You say Byleth's like family, so trust her like it!
> 
> The only reason there's ghost soldiers in Eternal Guardian is because you bring a whole squad with you. So I nixed 'em from Dima and By's solo spelunking. 
> 
> Next time: Fraldarius family drama, final Gonder plans, Seteth gets drunk, more Lorenz and Lysithea, and we set out for the big battle!


	13. Chapter 13

Felix groaned as he saw Mercedes and Dedue all-but hauling Byleth and Dimitri out of the church. So much for things getting better…

“Is something wrong, Felix?”

He turned to see his father. “Nothing besides the usual.”

“I wished to come speak to you, but you seem…troubled,” Rodrigue said.

“Of course I’m _troubled_. We’re led by a half-mad king! What’s to stop Dedue from enabling our ridiculous ruler instead of fixing him?” Felix demanded. “You? You’re too conciliatory as is.”

“And you refuse to have any understanding,” Rodrigue scolded gently. “As for what is stopping him…you, perhaps. The professor herself, even. It is clear she seeks His Highness’ betterment, even with both of them…struggling.”

“The professor has enough on her plate without babysitting a boar,” Felix scoffed.

“Felix,” Rodrigue said warningly.

“Don’t think you can scold me into denying the truth,” Felix scoffed.

“I did not come here to scold you at all, Felix! _You_ are the one who started on this topic,” Rodrigue said. “There was…something else I wished to discuss.”

“What?” Felix asked.

“Miss von Varley.”

“What about her?” Felix asked warily.

“I am you father; I see how you are around her. I know you do not want or need my permission, much less my approval,” Rodrigue said. “However, know if that was your intention to ask for her hand…I would very much be all for it.”

“You’re right. I don’t want your approval,” Felix said. “But…thank you.”

“She’s an excellent lady,” Rodrigue said. “Though…if it takes conducting dangerous espionage to get your attention, then little wonder I never did a good job of introducing you to potential matches…”

“And the moment’s over,” Felix huffed. “I’d like our position to be on more solid footing before doing anything. After taking back the Kingdom, preferably.”

“A wise choice,” Rodrigue admitted. “Should…the worst happen before then…know that it would have my blessing, and my wishes for your happiness.”

“That would mean more to her than me,” Felix admitted. “But…thank you, Father.”

.o.o.o.

“We could have lost both of you down there,” Dedue said sternly. “Your highness, professor, I understand your reasoning for going, but could you not have at _least_ gone back for reinforcements?”

“I…wasn’t thinking about that. It may have been being enclosed took up more of my attention than I’d have liked,” Byleth confessed.

Dimitri merely hung his head, clearly not happy with having upset Dedue but seemingly unable to come up with any response beyond not meeting anyone’s gaze.

“Those things were…they were more than something for just two people, they were meant to keep out a whole group of bandits, most likely,” Mercedes scolded. “Why?”

“I just…I spoke to Seteth and realized I had unfinished business down there,” Byleth said. “Remember when we thought there would be a revelation?”

“Ah,” Mercedes said, her face softening. She clearly thought Byleth had been seeking the Goddess’ advice, and Byleth was content to leave it at that.

“I’m sorry, what is this?” Manuela asked, leaning into the room. “I heard Mercedes and Dedue asking for privacy, and-”

“Seteth apparently started it,” Mercedes huffed. “He said…_something_ that made Byleth want to look into the tomb, which it turned out had _defenses_ set up by Lady Rhea. They got themselves in trouble down there. Don’t worry, Manuela, we’re scolding them.”

“Very well. Then I shall merely add ‘tsk-tsk’,” Manuela said, wagging her finger at Dimitri and Byleth before leaving.

Dimitri’s lips curled a bit at the scolding. Shamed by Dedue or not, he clearly didn’t care for Manuela’s opinion on the issue.

.o.o.o.

“Seteth, what did you even…Seteth?” Maunela asked, looking around his office and not seeing him. Well. That was odd. He’d been practically working himself to the bone during their lead-up to Gronder…

She went down the hall, “Hanneman, have you seen Seteth?”

“Hmm? No, did you need him for something?” Hanneman asked.

“He said something to Byleth and let her and Dimitri go down to the tomb alone and there were traps and Mercedes and Dedue just dragged them to the infirmary. I wish to rant,” Manuela said, finishing her declaration with a slight head toss to dramatize it.

“Hm…he left his office not long after Byleth, actually,” Hanneman said. “I haven’t heard from him since.”

“Well, I’ll just have to find him,” Manuela said, heading for the stairs.

Honestly. The man apparently had some conversation with Byleth that made her think she _had_ to go to the tomb even with strange guardians left by Rhea in the way, which of course she and Dimitri decided to fight themselves because…_reasons_, she assumed. And now he didn’t even have the decency to be in his office to give her answers to what he’d said to set this off!

Men.

Asking around the cathedral, he’s apparently hustled over to the Goddess Tower. Well. More stairs weren’t going to stop her from getting her answers! She brushed past the guard at the base and headed up, “Seteth? Seteth, are you up here?”

She heard a somewhat muffled response that sounded like she’d been told to go away. She ignored that and pressed on, fidning Seteth in one of the storage rooms up top…sitting on a crate with a bottle that looked suspiciously alcoholic.

“…You _drink_?” she asked, stunned. “Oh. Never mind. Seteth, what on earth did you say to the poor girl?”

“Mm?” Seteth asked, shaking his head in what looked like an attempt to focus.

“byleth. What did you say to her?”

“…I messed up,” Seteth sighed.

“Yes, we have established that,” Manuela said. “What did you-”

“I…I’m a bad friend,” Seteth mumbled. Apparently she wasn’t going to get anything coherent out of him. How long had he been up here with it, anyway?

“Well, we can discuss this somewhere better…and with better booze, this is terrible, cheap stuff,” Manuela said, examining the bottle. “Seteth, do you not know how to buy booze?”

Seteth looked baffled. She wasn’t entirely sure it was the drunkenness.

“This is about whatever you and Byleth talked about, yes?” Manuela asked.

“I…I tried to put off telling her some things. For my own sake,” Seteth confessed as Manuela hauled him to his feet.

“Seteth, she’s leading the army. Not telling her things is-”

“Not about the war. About…other things. I thought…I thought we should wait until we found Rhea…” He shook his head.

“Oh. Well. Lady Rhea…is important,” Manuela said as they reached the top of the stairs. She pursed her lips. Seteth was in no shape to go down them…at least not while talking. She’d save the warp spells for getting him back up to his room. “Seteth. Drop that and focus on the stairs. I don’t need to tell Flayn you broke your neck.”

Apparently mentioning his sister was another trigger, since Seteth started mumbling under his breath about how Flayn would be…disappointed? She was pretty sure that was what it was about.

“Dear, your sister loves you. She’d be concerned if anything,” Manuela corrected, snapping her fingers to refocus him on the stairs. They slowly began their descent. Seteth nearly tripped a couple of times, but Manuela was magnanimous enough to not let him smash his pretty face in on the stones.

“No questions,” she told the guard on their way out. “In fact, go make a distraction in the cathedral. No one needs to see this.”

“A distraction?” the guard asked.

“Be creative,” Manuela said.

After a few minutes they heard a loud smash, which she took as her cue to haul Seteth through. Sure enough, the guard was loudly sobbing over “accidentally” breaking the advice box…into splinters. She’d have to reimburse him later.

A simple Warp spell got Seteth up the stairs, with Manuela jogging after to make sure he didn’t fall off the landing before she could get to his location.

“You’re…good at this…” Seteth noted.

“Ha! You think you’re the only fool to get plastered during this war? Should see how I got Catherine back to her bunk after a bar fight. _That_ was impressive,” Manuela said.

“Ah. My…thanks,” Seteth said as Manuela shoved his door open and deposited him on the nearest chair.

“I’ll be back with better booze!” she promised.

.o.o.o.

“Where’s Seteth?” Byleth asked Flayn at the next meeting.

“My brother seems to have foolishly had a drinking contest with Manuela,” Flayn explained. “They will both be in bed for quite a while.”

“Oh. Dear,” Byleth said.

“Fool. Manuela drinks like a fish,” Felix scoffed.

“Yes, and my brother is…rather the lightweight,” Flayn admitted. “So, hopefully we shall not need them!”

“We’re mostly just trying to predict what the Alliance will do,” Byleth said, gesturing at the map. “It looks as though they’re have a similar position to the school battle. Back then, Claude was cautious, and it cost him.”

“To be fair, that was only because _someone_ broke formation,” Lysithea said, shooting Lorenz a look. Lorenz had the sense not to comment.

“Still, it might make him act more aggressively this time. If so, we’ll need to be ready of a surprise attack by the Alliance,” Byleth said.

“Ooh. I wish we could have met up and allied first…” Annette admitted.

“We cannot waste time wishing, Annie,” Ingrid sighed. “So. Two armies against us.”

“The plan is for Lord Rodrigue to lead a contingent to the east of us, try to flank the Empire. It’s less to defeat them as it is to prevent their escaping—especially Edelgard or other important generals,” Byleth explained. “If things go well, we may end things here.”

Dimitri smirked darkly at her pronouncement, causing Felix to glare at him and Lysithea to shake her head.

“It may not though, even a decapitated snake is dangerous,” Gilbert cautioned. “So even if we do slay the Emperor, be ready for things to continue.”

.o.o.o.

“Lysithea, plase wait!”

“Lorenz, I swear if you start fussing over me _one more time-_” Lysithea swore, whirling on him to find a Relic in front of her nose.

“…I wanted you to take it. For the battle,” Lorenz said.

“Thrysus?” Lysithea asked, wide-eyed. “Wait, uh, this only works with-”

“The Crest of Gloucester. Whicb you have,” Lorenz said. He winced at her glare. “Your-parents-may-have-let-it-slip-while-under-quote-unqote-house-arrest!”

“You put my parents under house arrest?” Lysithea yelled.

“Alleged house arrest—_how else_ was I supposed to keep the Empire away from them after you started running around with the Blue Lions again?” Lorenz asked. “Anyway, they…they may have let it slip and asked me to…try and help you. So I am.”

Lysithea groaned, “So you acting like an idiot this past month has been you worrying about me because my parents asked you to?”

“Well, that and your mother genuinely made it sound like you could drop dead at any moment,” Lorenz admitted. “…I see now that she was somewhat exaggerating, but I was genuinely worried.”

“I can take care of myself. But…I _suppose_ you may worry in a more acceptable manner since you…know_,_” Lysithea sighed. “Try taking after Felix. He’s better at it.”

“That brute! All he ever does is threaten me!” Lorenz said.

“Yeah, it was funny,” Lysithea laughed. “Friends again?”

“Sounds good,” Lorenz agreed, shaking her hand.

.o.o.o.

“You’ve been tensing up the closer we get to the battlefield,” Alois said to Byleth less than a week later. “You’re usually so happy outside, too…I know there’s a tough fight coming up, but you have to believe in us all!”

“It’s not that. It’s Dimitri,” Byleth confessed.

“His Highness? I’ll admit, he’s gotten abit snappish again-”

“That’s not it,” Byleth said. “I’m worried. He’s getting more and more wound up the closer we get…”

“The closer we get to _Edelgard_, you mean?” Alois asked.

Byleth nodded.

“Hm. He…he wasn’t that all right during the fight for the monastery all those years ago, either…when he faced her then…” Alois shook his head and sighed. “Well. I can see why you’re worried.”

“There’s little to do about it now,” Byleth said. “I…I think I’m going to have to plan around him. Whatever he does.”

“You’ve done it before,” Alois noted. “Don’t worry, my girl. I have faith in you.”

“…I just hope you’re right,” Byleth sighed. “I…I really can’t lose him, Alois.”

“I wish I could make this better,” Alois said, turning as Seteth called for him. “Well. We’re heading off. Hopefully to cut off the Empire’s south flank.”

“I have faith in you,” Byleth said, sending him off with a small smile. She picked up her sword and headed back to her part of the army as they prepared to descend from the mountains and take the field for what could be their last battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Seteth knows he fucked up. Luckily, Manuela's been drunk enough times to manage him...until she makes it worse after they're back in his office. Flayn tucked them both in on the floor. 
> 
> So, yeah, here's my explanation for Rodrigue was off on the east side of the field during Gronder--trying to flank. He and the Knights and other adults will be off doing that next time. 
> 
> So, Lorenz was fussing because he found out about Lysithea's secret due to her parents being extremely worried about her while under house arrest by him and/or his dad. She gets a range-improving staff out of it, so he's forgiven for now. And she is now a walking magic death ray.


	14. Chapter 14

“Ballista!” someone yelled in warning, and Mercedes and Bernadetta dove sideways to avoid the bolts.

“She got here first,” Felix groused, looking at the Imperials stationed on the central hill.

“If the four of us work together, we can retake the central area and shut down that ballista so the others’ assault goes off properly,” Mercedes said.

“Right. I shall be the shield,” Dedue said. “Bernadetta can dispatch enemies at range, Felix up close, and you can heal us and use offensive magic as needed.”

“Good. We need to shut that thing down before the deer move in,” Felix said. “Dedue and I will clear the bridge, and then we go!”

.o.o.o.

“Ingrid, Flayn, stay with Dimitri and me! Sylvain, with Lysithea! Cyril, Ashe, with Annette!” Byleth commanded as they raced into the western woods.

“Get out of my way!” Dimitri bellowed, smashing through Imperial cavalry.

“He’s going to get too far ahead!” Lysithea warned.

“Ingrid, Flayn, stay on him! Cyril, cover us!” Byleth ordered, dodging a sword, “Nice try!” She cut her opponent down and kept running, desperate to keep pace with Dimitri. “Sylvain, protect the mages!”

“Hey, I’m a mage too!” Sylvain called after her.

Byleth was glad to have studied her healing magic. Flayn would have more trouble keeping up with a reckless Dimitri than she would. She’d already been forced to use a Divine Pulse thanks to that ballista…

She crossed the bridge in time to watch Hubert take a bad hit from Dimitri’s javelin, stagger, and vanish in a swirl of magic. Good. One major threat handled. She glanced towards the central hill, where their capture party seemed to have taken the ballista…only for the hill to burst into flames. “NO!”

.o.o.o.

“Everyone here?” Felix shouted.

“I’ve got Bernie!” Mercedes called as Dedue shouted, “I am fine!”

“This was a trick, move east, regroup!” Felix said. “We go to—Cyril, there! He’s there! Regroup on Cyril!”

A loud shriek killed that plan, Bernadetta tumbling out of the smoke. “I think it got my bad leg; I can’t run!”

“Shit!” Felix hissed as they huddled up in the smoke, Bernadetta struggling to stand. “And with the Alliance moving in, they won’t be able to tell us from the Imperials—ah!”

He staggered at a blow from the smoke. Dedue engaged the assailant, felling the Imperial Captain.

“My axe has broken, can we use the handle as a splint?” Dedue offered, passing the broken weapon as he donned his gauntlets.

“I can try,” Bernadetta said before her eyes widened, “Behind you!”

.o.o.o

“Beasts!” Cyril warned, Saint hurriedly flying out of range of an energy blast from one of the masked monsters.

The demonic beasts rushed forward, scattering the kingdom’s forces all over the field. Infantry fared the worst, many unable to move fast enough to avoid the creatures. Some of the fighters slowed down to deal with the new threats, while others tried to get around them and their mage handlers.

“You’re in my way!” Lysithea snapped, blasting one of the mages and leaving him open for a follow-up from Lorenz. “We just have to—look out!”

Lorenz was knocked to the ground by the beast’s tail, managing to roll and catch himself while Sylvain used Dancer to stop Rose from running away.

“You all right?” Annette asked Lorenz, pulling him upright while shooting lighting at the beast with her bolt axe.

“Fine, fine,” Lorenz said, sprinting to leap back onto Rose. “We need to bring that thing down!”

“And fast!” Lysithea said, looking behind them. “I think they’re closing in on us from behind!”

.o.o.o.

Dedue whirled at Bernadetta’s warning, punching his opponent clean off the platform.

The man moaned on the ground, revealing himself to be clad in gold and green, not the red of the Empire. Bernadetta stared in horror as she recognized him.

“Oh, goddess,” Bernadetta muttered. “Ignatz…”

“He couldn’t tell it was us in the smoke,” Felix said as he hauled Bernadetta off the platform in the other direction. “Dedue, is Mercedes all right?”

“We’re both not doing well,” Dedue said as he and Mercedes stumbled up beside them. “If we could take up a defensible position…”

“No use, the Alliance has us in a pincer. They’re literally pushing us into the Empire’s monsters in this fog…damn it, Claude!” Felix swore as he surveyed the field.

“That’s it, Claude! If he’s forced to retreat, they may follow him!” Bernadetta said. “If-if Mercedes can focus on healing us and Dedue on defense, I can use my bow and you can use Thoron-”

“Knock him out of the sky,” Felix said. “All right. That’s the new plan, then. Let’s find us a flying dastard.”

.o.o.o.

Leonie and her horse crashed into Lorenz and Sylvain, leaving all three sitting ducks for the monsters as two pounced them, to Lysithea’s screams of horror.

Byleth swore and rewound time again, this time going for Leonie right away instead of continuing to back up Dimitri against a beast. “Leonie! Leonie, you’re pushing the Kingdom into the beasts!”

“Professor?” Leonie asked in shock, her horse nearly rearing as she stopped it too harshly. She looked around, realizing it was indeed true. “Alliance! Alliance, fall back! We’re attacking the Kingdom!”

“What?” someone else yelled through the smoke as Annette seemed to realize what was going on and blasted some of the smoke apart with a wind spell.

“Fall back! Fall towards the center!” Leonie ordered.

“And stop running over us!” Cyril complained, flipping off an Alliance archer who had apparently been shooting at him and Archon, going by the arrows stuck in the wyvern’s armor.

Byleth spared a brief thought to how the idiot hadn’t accidentally shot _Claude_ if he was aiming at anything flying in the smoke, before realizing Dimitri had felled the beast and was moving on, following him to see…her. Edelgard.

.o.o.o.

“There, he’s there!” Dedue said, spotting Claude.

“Urgh, he’s out of range…” Bernadetta said.

“Maybe someone dropped a longbow…” Mercedes mused, looking around. “Or perhaps-”

Felix shot off a Thoron blast at Claude, trying to lure him closer.

“How many more times can you do that?” Bernadetta asked as Mercedes and Dedue continued checking corpses for longbows.

“I’ve got one, maybe two more in me,” Felix admitted.

“Here, try this!” Mercedes said, thrusting a bow at Bernadetta.

“I—I don’t normally use—okay,” Bernadetta said. “Okay, okay…”

She swallowed, taking aim, “Sorry about this, Claude…”

.o.o.o.

A sneak attack from a mage nearly took Dimitri out from the side. He dodged, but it hit Ashe, too busy with a sniper’s duel to dodge. Byleth rewound, taking out the mage herself and trying to make sure Edelgard didn’t try anything, but she seemed oddly content to wait among the stones-

The stones. It was a trap, like with Kronya—

“Dimitri, stay outside the stones!” she ordered, unsure if he’d hear her. Ashe seemed to, and after finishing off his opponent whirled and started firing at Edelgard to drive her out of her waiting place.

“She’s _mine_!” Dimitri insisted, not realizing that if Ashe had wanted to kill her he might have already, Byleth wasn’t sure, range in this smoke was-

A scream. Flayn. Byleth turned just as Ashe’s assault drove Edelgard from her hiding place and her eyes went wide with horror.

“Flayn!” Byleth yelled. “Dimitri, take Edelgard, I’ll get Flayn!”

She turned, rushing to attack the monster that had somehow cornered an unescorted Flayn—where was Ingrid? Ingrid had been with her a moment ago… No matter- “Flayn, heads up!”

Thunder crashed down on the beast, giving Flayn time to hurry behind Byleth.

“Don’t worry about me, go, back up Dimitri!” Byleth said.

“It knocked Ingrid and Fey down; I was healing her when it charged me!” Flayn called. “I think she will be fi—look out!”

The both hit the ground as the monster swung its tail at them. Byleth rolled to her feet, drawing the Sword of the Creator. “Watch and learn!” She took the beast’s head in one stroke.

“To Dimitri!” Flayn said as she and Byleth tried to retake their previous positions. Dimitri seemed to be handling himself fine, though Flayn tossed a Fortify out anyway, just to ensure things went well for him and everyone else.

Dimitri knocked Edelgard’s axe from her hands and struck her to the ground, when suddenly two Imperial soldiers—hidden behind the ruins? Had they indended to ambush an aoopracher but Edelgard was forced out out?—rushed him. He knocked one side while Byleth blasted the other, but white magic swirled around Edelgard and she vanished before Dimitri could bring Areadbhar down on her.

“What?” Byleth asked as Dimitri yelled, “NO!”

“I…I think that was a Rescue spell,” Flayn said. “She must have an ally around here! A white mage! If we find them, we find her!”

“Then we go,” Dimitri said, staggering forward only to be cut off by Rodrigue. “Rodrigue, get out of my way!”

“It’s over, your highness, we won. Accept that,” Rodrigue said. “You’re barely standing.”

“I could…heal him? Again?” Flayn offered, looking between Byleth and Rodrigue.

“The only healing I need is what I will feel when I take that woman’s head,” Dimitri said.

“We’ve suffered heavy losses thanks to the Alliance’s error. Pursuing recklessly will lead to only death,” Rodrigue said. “We _must_ stop.”

“No, I can do this!” Dimitri said.

“DIE! MONSTER!”

Dimitri stumbled backwards as a woman rushed out of Rodrigue’s retinue and slashed at him.

“No!” Byleth said, whipping out her sword as Rodrigue shoved Dimitri out of the way and took the next blow, gasping as the knife plunged into his stomach.

“No, no! Rodrigue!” Dimitri cried.

Byleth cut the girl down as Flayn rushed forward.

“No, no, too deep,” Flayn said as Rodrigue’s coat quickly soaked red. “I can’t…I…I’m trying…”

“I think…you’re only pushing life…into a man it is flooding out of, my dear girl,” Rodrigue choked. “Dimitri…your highness…are you safe?”

“No. No, please, not you too,” Dimitri begged falling to his knees. “Rodrigue, please…”

“Dimitri, listen to me. To your friends. The dead…they do not need you, my boy. Do not live to fulfil them…live for yourself. That…that is what Lambert would have truly wanted…”

“No, no, you can’t…you can’t…” Dimitri sobbed.

Byleth reached inside, trying to find the power to go back, she could stagger the girl before she even reached Dimitri and Rodrigue, she could-

There was nothing. She could do nothing.

Byleth watched as Lord Rodrigue died with a whispered comment to Dimitri’s father, head pillowed on Dimitri’s knees while Flayn desperately tried to save him, blood soaking up her sleeves as she knelt over his torso.

“No, no…” Flayn whispered.

“Flayn!”

They heard heavy thuds of stumbling steps as Seteth rushed over, looking horrified at the blood on his daughter’s robes.

“It is not mine. Lord Rodrigue…I could not save him,” Flayn said. Seteth fell to his knees as well, pulling Flayn into a tight hug. Rodrigue’s blood smeared across his armor.

Byleth put a hand on Dimitri’s shoulder, looking for Ingrid. Someone had to find and tell Felix, and she wasn’t sure leaving Dimitri was a good idea right now…

Eventually Felix came, burnt and bruised and supporting Bernadetta, who Mercedes quickly took hold of so Felix could run to his father’s side.

“What happened?” Felix hissed.

“Assassin. Went for me,” Dimitri said, still sounding as if he was in shock. “Lord Rodrigue went to pull her away…she got him in the stomach…”

“Felix, I am so sorry. I tried,” Flayn said, eyes welling up with fresh tears. “I _truly_ tried.”

“I believe you. Both of you,” Felix clarified. 

“Felix…” Byleth started, but the words wouldn’t come. What words were there?

“…He had a feeling something was going to go wrong. Guess he was right,” Felix said, before turning and walking off the field.

Byleth looked at Seteth, who gestured at Dimitri. She nodded. She would keep an eye on him. Seteth passed Flayn over to Manuela for a checkup and began giving orders to retreat and regroup, now that the Alliance had backed off.

Felix returned with some of his house’s men, to take his father’s body. He said something about burying him at the monastery, Dimitri nodded in consent.

Byleth was tired, but she stayed by Dimitri’s side until they were far enough from Gronder to make camp. Despite their weariness, neither of them truly slept that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we lost Rodrigue. We're going to slow down a bit once again, as it's time for...bum um, character development! There's a lot to do at the monastery before we set out for the next major in-game milestone. 
> 
> Claude's actions make the least sense in BL, since he should want to be allies with the Kingdom and just...charges in, with some of his army literally coming up from behind you to push you into the Empire and prevent you from hanging back and playing it safe. So, yeah. Team Bernalix&Dedudes drove him off the field. 
> 
> Overall, using those four to take the central area worked GREAT in both runs I did it in (naturally better when I then got them off it before the fire in the second one), tho in the first run Dedue (who due to reduced mobility could barely do anything) got critted and dropped, and it snowballed. In that run, Claude also dodged 3 arrows in a row, so only Dimitri and Lysithea survived the map. Did SO much better the second time around. 
> 
> I do wonder why Edelgard stays within those rocks until drawn out. Sure, it's a healing position, but I can see Byleth having other opinions...


	15. Chapter 15

The ride back to the monastery was a dreadful slog. Dimitri refused to sleep until Byleth and Dedue both shoved medicinal herbs at him, and even then the sleep was fitful and he refused to do so again after that night.

Felix had barely spoken, quietly making sure his father’s men were staying and then withdrawing, growing snappish if anyone offered condolences. It got to the point that by the time they were finally back at their base, Sylvain and Bernadetta were steering everyone away from him if they even tried to speak.

Byleth hadn’t slept well either. Gronder had been a waking nightmare, and somehow it had merged with the cell in her sleeping ones. Everyone dead or dying, Edelgard presiding over it all…that trap on the hill…

Seteth had flown ahead to make sure their arrival was known, and that there would be food and medicine ready for those who needed them. Flayn had gone with him, as he was terrified when she wasn’t within his sight.

The dining hall was full…almost. Dimitri never attended, but Byleth had not seen him in the cathedral either. It had started to rain when she finally found him in the stables.

“What are you doing?” she asked. He’d taken the horse he used during some patrols, when she’d convinced him to act as a Holy Knight in case anyone needed healing, and to keep his riding skills sharp. Dimitri had confessed long ago to riding to clear his head, but she had a bad feeling.

“I’m leaving.”

“What?” Byleth gasped. “Dimitri, you haven’t even let anyone properly heal you since Gronder, and you think running off to who-knows-where-”

“You know where,” Dimitri said quietly.

“…You are not going to Enbarr, Dimitri,” Byleth said, slapping the reins from his hands. It startled the warhorse, who backed away from them both. “Stop this foolishness.”

“Foolishness?” Dimitri asked softly. “No. No…battles like the last one will only continue as long as she lives. Ending her will end it all.”

“No it won’t,” Byleth said. “Not for you, and not for me, and not for this war. You think Hubert and the Death Knight wouldn’t raze the continent in revenge? Or her mysterious allies do even worse?”

“Then we will kill them too!” Dimitri said. “Kill anyne who would…would…”

“This isn’t about Edelgard,” Byleth said. “…You’ve seen Rodrigue, haven’t you?”

Dimitri laughed mirthlessly. “Always the knowing teacher.” 

“Dimitri, if the spirit you’re seeing is making demands of you…Rodrigue died asking you to live for yourself, not for him or his vengeance,” Byleth said. “Whatever that ghost is…it wouldn’t be him.”

“Ha…you seem to have all the answers… So, tell me, Professor. Please, tell me… How do I silence their desperate pleas? How do I… how do I save them?”

His words were both bitter and yet utterly, achingly sincere. He truly did think she held the answer to this nightmare, the words his ghosts needed to hear.

Byleth looked a deep breath…nothing came to mind. She had never truly had any words for his specters, other than to demand why they tormented him so when all he wished was to please them, to aid their revenge. Why they drove him nearly mad, rarely let him sleep, demanded the impossible…

“I don’t know,” Byleth said. “But I do know…that the late Lord Rodrigue was _right_. We must live for ourselves, Dimitri. We must live for the present, for its people, and for our own lives. Even if the past still tries to hold us, we…we have to _try_ Dimitri. Or then we’re not living at all.”

She cupped his face, stoking away the tears that matched her own.

“Your hands…they’re always so warm,” Dimitri whispered. “…Thank you. Thank you, I…I was being foolish.”

“We both want this war to end. So do our friends. Work _with_ us Dimitri, and we will end it,” Byleth promised.

“…We should go…dry off,” Dimitri said quietly, leaning forward to gently wipe her tears in return.

Byleth nodded. For once, she actually wanted to be back inside, preferably somewhere warm and well-lit. She offered Dimitri her hand once more, and he took it.

They headed towards the church, where both of them had dry clothing waiting, when they came across Dedue.

“Your Highness, Professor! I was worried when you weren’t in your usual resting places,” Dedue said.

“I apologize for worrying you. I…needed a walk,” Dimitri said. “Thankfully, our dear professor turned up to remind me the health drawbacks to wandering in the rain.”

“She is right that you should consider your condition more carefully,” Dedue admitted. “If you wish to return to you room, I can have meals sent over.”

“I…would like to join the hall,” Byleth said. “It sounds nice after this trek in the rain.”

“If Byleth can brave the dining hall, then so can I,” Dimitri decided.

Byleth’s still heart warmed at the joy in Dedue’s eyes. “Of course! Shall we go?”

“Let us dry off first, my friend,” Dimitri said, patting him on the shoulder. “We’ll be along.”

Dedue bowed, turning to head towards the hall.

“He seemed…quite pleased by our decision,” Dimitri noted.

“He’s our friend and was worried for us,” Byleth said.

“A concern I hardly deserved, with how I was acting,” Dimitri said.

“Friends do not only care about us when we are pleasant, Dimitri,” Byleth said.

They headed upstairs, quickly exchanging wet clothes for dry, grabbing cloaks to help them stay such as they made their way to the dining hall.

Dimitri paused on the threshold. He had not been inside since the small celebration of Dedue’s return. Byleth smiled and held out her hand. He took it, and they entered together.

A hush fell over the hall, several shocked to see their king enter once more, hand in hand with the professor. Then several conversations erupted at once as Dedue quickly stood to lead them to the table with their friends.

“I didn’t believe it,” Felix admitted, passing a few coins to Sylvain.

“Dedue said it, and the man doesn’t lie,” Sylvain teased, tossing Dedue a cheerful salute.

“It’s good to see you!” Bernadetta said earnestly. “I helped make tonight’s dinner, so I hope you like it!”

“I’m sure I will, you’re such a wonderful cook,” Byleth said. “How is your leg?”

“I’m…not allowed to stand without a crutch right now,” Bernadetta admitted. “Starting tomorrow, a week of bedrest.”

“And they let you cook?” Byleth asked, giving Mercedes and Ashe an incredulous look.

“We had her sit down to do it!” Ashe insisted. “I promise!”

“Every order of the healers was followed _exactly_,” Lysithea agreed.

Byleth relented, returning to her meal with a soft chuckle.

After more eating and conversation had worn the novelty of their arrival, Dimitri cleared his throat.

“I…wish to apologize for my behavior. I have not acted how a king should, and you all have been more than kind to put up with me,” Dimitri said. “I will do better.”

“Let’s hope you’re right about ghosts, then,” Felix groused. “Because it would sure be shit for my dad to die before you pulled yourself together, boar.”

“It would,” Dimitri said. “I was not the king he deserved. But I intend to become such a king. Forget our preparations for Enbarr. We have a capitol to reclaim, and a kingdom.”

“We’re…going to Fhirdiad?” Felix asked, eyes widening slightly as the rest of the table started looking at each other excitedly.

“Yes,” Dimitri said.

“Well. Damn, boar. Welcome back,” Felix said, smiling softly as he idly twirled his fork above his cleaned-plate.

“Good to be back,” Dimitri said.

.o.o.o.

“I…would it trouble you, if I were to continue to stay here?” Dimitri asked as he and Byleth returned to their room. “We have so much to do, I do not wish to worry anyone with trying to rearrange quarters, but I also do not wish to intrude-”

“You’re never intruding,” Byleth said, giving his hand a squeeze before heading to her bed.

Dimitri swallowed, nodding. He turned his back to give her some privacy to change into bedclothes, stunned she was still all right with this. That this wasn’t just a token pity…

Byleth flopped down onto her bed, “Warm blankets feel wonderful on a day like today…”

“Do…do you want to shut the balcony door?” Dimitri asked.

“I suppose it would be healthier…” Byleth mused. “And I am used to this room…to being able to leave it…we can certainly try.”

Dimitri nodded, nudging it shut. Byleth tensed a bit, but relaxed after a few deep breaths.

“All right?” he asked when she suddenly chuckled.

“I just realized if I became terrified, you might knock it off its hinges,” Byleth admitted, snickering.

Dimitri choked on his response, embarrassed. “I—well—you…that is to—ah. If it brings you comfort, so be it.”

“I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m teasing. It really is a comforting thought.”

Dimitri felt his face heat up. “Ah…glad to be a…_comfort_…then. Even if Cyril would chase me with an axe for damaging the archbishop’s room.”

Byleth laughed again. “He _would_.”

Dimitri began to remove his outwear, thankful that Byleth seemed more absorbed in curling beneath her covers than paying attention to his undressing before he too climbed into his bed and waited for sleep to come.

He waited for a very long time.

“You’re thinking rather loudly,” Byleth noted.

“I…apologize if I am making it difficult to sleep,” Dimitri said. He was sure his shifting about had something to do with it.

“…It’s not _you_ being loud, is it?” she asked.

Dimitri grimaced, glancing away as she sat up to see him better. “As I said…their pleas can be…”

“I’m sorry,” Byleth said, sitting up.

“Don’t get up on my account,” Dimitri insisted, only to feel his cheeks heat up as Byleth sat on the bed beside him and gestured at the blankets. “Oh.”

“It has helped in the past,” Byleth said gently.

Dimitri pulled back the blankets, letting her in, “I hope to not keep you awake too long.”

“Dimitri. There once was a prince who told me he would stand by me, regardless of what came. I tell the same to that king now. I stand beside you,” Byleth said. “I stand by you to retake your home, your honor, and your people.”

“I do not deserve your aid.”

“It’s not about deserving. I give it freely,” Byleth said, shifting closer.

Dimitri felt his heart should hammer at that, at her so close, so terribly, horrifically close. But as ever she was a balm to his nerves, so even as he was aware of every breath, every move, he felt himself begin to go still. To relax.

He swallowed when she let out a small, pleased hum as he loosely took her hand.

Eventually sleep found them both.

.o.o.o.

Dimitri woke up screaming.

Byleth fell out of bed, but landed on her feet and turned to him quickly, “Dimitri!”

“Gronder…I…everyone…” Dimitri panted. “I…I killed everyone…you…I killed you…”

“I’m alive. I’m here,” Byleth said, gently cupping his face. “Dimitri, I’m here.”

“I killed you.”

“I’m _here_,” Byleth said.

“I saw…I swear, I saw,” Dimitri whispered.

“I know. I know. The battle…we’re not the only ones with nightmares,” Byleth said, hugging him tightly. “I think it’s going to take some time for any of us to sleep soundly.”

.o.o.o.

Some noise woke Hanneman, sending him to his door in time to see Seteth leaving Manuela’s room, looking troubled.

“Is he all right?” Hanneman asked Manuela, stifling a yawn.

“He’ll be fine; he asked me for something to help him sleep,” Manuela said, shaking her head. “He’s having nightmares of Flayn covered in blood, thanks to Gronder.”

“Oh dear,” Hanneman said. “Lysithea and Cyril had similar on the road home, though theirs are about those great masked beasts.”

“Do you need herbs for them?” Manuela asked.

“No, no, I procured some from the infirmary already, thank you,” Hanneman said. “Quite a mess things have become, hm?”

“The Empire used Gronder being in their territory to their advantage all right,” Manuela groused. “I’m worried about all that smoke people were breathing in…and that flaming hill trap was deviously cruel. Put a powerful ballista on it to force attention or risk it continuing to rain down on your army and then…” She shook her head with a shudder. “Do you think the Imperials up there knew she was going to set them ablaze?”

“Given reports that some rushed up onto it when it looked like the ballista was going to be captured to try and defeat the attackers…no,” Hanneman said. “And those masked beasts…”

“Terrifying,” Manuela agreed. “Still, those on the hill had the worst injuries. I treated their burns on the way back and Bernadetta’s leg but…well. Good thing she can probably pass the Bow Knight exam by now. I don’t want her running around on a battlefield any time soon.”

“I’ll help her with it,” Hanneman promised. “Still, get some rest. I’m sure you have several full days ahead.”

“We all do,” Manuela sighed, returning to her room. She leaned against the door, quietly praying the Goddess would keep them safe while they recovered from this disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, again, we're slowing down a bit after Gronder. I expect the Fhirdiad prep and character stuff to take several chapters, next time being Felix and Bernadetta focused. 
> 
> Dimitri's nightmares are ongoing, only after Gronder, he's joined by a good chunk of the army. Expect Seteth to be in Overprotective Dad Mode for weeks after seeing Flayn drenched in blood, and so on.


	16. Chapter 16

Midday the day after their return from Gronder and Dimitri’s declaration of changed war plans, Bernadetta was finishing her prescribed leg stretches when there was a knock at her door. She used her crutch to get up and open in.

“Oh, Ingrid! Did you bring my lunch?” Bernadetta asked.

“Yes. I actually wanted to ask you something,” Ingrid said as she passed over the food.

“Oh? What about?” Bernadetta asked after she set the food down on her desk.

“Felix. I’m worried about him. No one’s seen him, and he’s not in his room…” Ingrid sighed. “I’d hate to lose him after losing his father. We just got Dimitri back, too…”

“He came by early this morning, said he was going to go hide out for a week or so until everyone stopped telling him they were sorry about Lord Rodrigue. He…doesn’t really want to deal with hearing it over and over,” Bernadetta said.

“Oh. So he’s going to be back?” Ingrid asked.

“Yes,” Bernadetta said. “He probably told me because he knew I wouldn’t follow him! Bernie doesn’t like camping, no sir! And, y’know, my leg…”

“Did you at least see where he was going?” Ingrid asked.

“Well, he went that way and he had a bag,” Bernadetta said, gesturing towards the front of the monastery.

“Urgh. Well, if he needs some time alone, so be it,” Ingrid said. “Thanks, Bernie.”

“Bye!” Bernadetta said, closing the door and setting down the covered tray. “Whew.”

“You were right, she didn’t see me,” Felix said, sliding out from under the desk.

“Here, ordered you some food too,” Bernadetta said, passing over a second plate from the tray. “You like those mixed meats, right?”

“Yes,” Felix said, taking the plate. “…This was a good idea for a hiding spot.”

“Heh. Never figured you’d be hiding out in here too, someday,” Bernadetta said, sitting down and starting on her lunch. “But I know what it’s like, not wanting to talk to people.”

“For different reasons, but yeah,” Felix sighed. “…He liked you, you know. My father. Said you were a good friend to me.”

Bernadetta blushed bright crimson. “R-really?”

“Yeah. I mean, your spying was invaluable. Let us know the professor was alive and everything. Shame you had to go home to do it.”

“Honestly…with how things are now? It was worth it,” Bernadetta said.

“That doesn’t mean you deserved going back to…well. Your home life,” Felix said.

“Yeah…but it was worth it,” Bernadetta repeated, giving him a small smile. Felix sighed and shook his head at her before digging into the food. Bernadetta shrugged and did the same.

“Why…_didn’t_ you just go camping?” Bernadetta asked after they finished off their lunches.

“One, Sylvain will be on his horse and hunting for me instantly, probably would have found me in a few hours. Especially if he got Flayn on a Pegasus to aid the search. Or _worse_, Ingrid. Two, what if something happens, like the Empire pursuing us here after that mess of a battle? I need to be close enough to help,” Felix said.

“Oh. I guess you really can’t leave us to our own devices, huh?” Bernadetta asked.

“Obviously not. Especially with the professor and the boar such messes right now. I mean, they can be messes, it’s their right after everything, but it’s not…I’m not trying to insult them I swear,” Felix muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You don’t want everything to be on them in case of some kind of attack by the Empire when we’re down?” Bernadetta guessed.

“Yes. That. That sounds so much better,” Felix said. “Thank you.”

Bernadette grinned, blushing. When Felix had asked her a good place to hide and she’d mentioned her room as kind of a joke, she hadn’t expected him to take it, but…well. She knew what it was, wanting to be left alone.

.o.o.o.

“Well, at least he plans to return,” Byleth declared when Sylvain informed them that he had in fact not found Felix.

Gilbert coughed into his hand, “While I utterly understand the need to give Felix his time, the fact is that we have much to take care of. Including regarding Fraldarius soldiers.”

“I’m sure we can convince them that…their lord is grieving and so we are handling the direct duties while he is in mourning,” Ingrid said carefully.

“That should work,” Byleth agreed. “…For a time.”

“Felix may have all the time he needs,” Dimitri said firmly.

That got some nods. If it had their king’s backing, they could probably make it work.

“So…how goes catch-up?” Sylvain asked.

“Gilbert and Byleth are informing me of what I…missed,” Dimitri said.

Byleth gestured to the papers piled high on the table. Sylvain whistled softly. “Good…luck with that, then.”

“You’re both taking care of yourselves, right?” Ingrid asked.

“Yes. We’re resting aside from…” Byleth shook her head, gesturing again at the papers. “Mercedes insisted.”

.o.o.o.

Having Felix in her room was surprisingly a lot less disruptive than Bernadetta had feared. He usually vanished for a bit before sunup to sneak into and out of the bathhouses, but otherwise he mostly just was…quiet. Which was pretty normal for Felix, actually, he wasn’t much of a talker.

Bernadetta frowned at her stitching, fighting the urge to look over at him, sitting at her desk and not-really-reading a black magic book. She wondered if maybe he needed to talk but…well. Not wanting to talk was why he was in here, wasn’t it?

She nodded, going back to the embroidery. If he needed something…well, he’d hopefully say.

.o.o.o.

“You don’t think he’d turn traitor, do you?” Roscoe asked, cringing at the look Dedue gave him. “That’s a no.”

“Felix is a private man,” Dedue said simply. “While I am surprised as to how well he has apparently hidden his camp, given the attempts of several to find him…his reasoning makes sense.”

“Still…people are talking,” Roscoe said. “Not to me, obviously, but I hear things. And Ashe hears things and blabs them to me in the kitchen.”

“Is there unrest with the Fraldarius soldiers?” Dedue asked.

Roscoe shook his head, “Not yet. Dimitri seems to hold their loyalty and they’ve accepted the idea of letting Felix grieve. Hell, most of them are grieving, too. So…not yet.”

“…But not never,” Dedue surmised.

Roscoe nodded.

.o.o.o.

“…So…is that book hard?” Bernadetta asked when Felix was still sort-of-reading the same thing two days later, seemingly still in the middle of it.

“I…suppose,” Felix sighed, shutting it. “Hard to concentrate.”

“Oh,” Bernadetta said. “Um, if it’s because of anything I’m doing…”

“It’s not,” Felix said quickly. “It’s…not. I just…I remember how when we met up again, father…he complimented me on…on…”

“Black magic, and being good at it?” Bernadetta offered when Felix didn’t seem to want to finish it.

“mm,” Felix agreed, before wiping his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Sorry?” Bernadetta asked.

“I just…I shouldn’t be, I mean…fuck,” Felix huffed, going to put the book away before giving up and sitting down on the floor. “I just feel like a mess and I don’t have the fucking _time_ for this-”

“Felix-”

“I mean, he—we know what _war_ is, people have died, I’ve seen other people die and, and...” Felix shook his head hard as more tears welled up.

“Fuck…” Felix muttered, rubbing at his eyes. “Shit, fuck, shit…”

“It-it’s okay. Really!” Bernadetta assured him, easing her way to the floor. “I mean, I…I cry all the time!”

“It’s…it’s been a while,” Felix admitted. “Long while.”

“It has?” Bernadetta asked. She’d never seen Felix cry, sure, but she’d only known him so long.

“Y’know…before my brother died…I was actually the crybaby of the group. Of my friends,” Felix admitted, wiping furiously at his eyes.

“What?” Bernadetta asked. “You?”

“Yeah. I know,” Felix said. “I…I know. Weird, right? But when Glenn died…something died in me, and I couldn’t cry anymore…but now…”

He stilled as Bernadetta pulled him into a tight hug.

“There’s nothing dead about you, whether or not you feel like crying,” she said.

Felix hugged her back, before starting and jerking back. “Wait! What are you doing out of bed?”

“Y-you were crying!” Bernadetta pointed out. “It was…there was…you were…ugh!” She buried her face in her hands.

Felix got to his feet, bending down to scoop her up and deposit her back on the mattress. “You’re on _bedrest_!”

Bernadetta stared at him in disbelief, before her arm shot out and she yanked him down onto the bed too.

“Well I say _you’re_ on bedrest! On an acute case of feelings!” she declared.

They both laughed as Felix tried to get comfortable without hitting her injured leg, only to slowly fall silent as it dawned on them that they were lying beside each other on a bed.

“I…uh…I swear this was a good idea when I had it…” Bernadetta admitted, blushing.

Felix’s face was nearly as red as hers. “Erm…I suppose. I…have an idea…too…”

“Huh?” Bernadetta asked, before her eyes went wide as Felix leaned in and kissed her. Her blush deepened as he pulled away. “…Good idea.”

Felix swallowed, nodding. “I…I do like you. You know.”

“I know,” Bernadetta said, blushing. “Not like you ever offer any other girl your arm. I, uh…you too. I like you too.”

Felix snorted. “I like that we’re both bad at this.”

“Yeah,” Bernadetta agreed, curling closer to him. “But…in a good way.”

.o.o.o.

Late into the next morning, there was a pounding on the door.

“Hey Bernie, rise and shine!”

“I was already up, Sylvain,” Bernadetta said as she opened it. “Do you want my breakfast dishes?”

“Eh, more here for Felix, actually,” Sylvain admitted.

“I—Felix? What? What, Felix? Felix is camping!” Bernadetta said, going red.

“Nah, he’s in there. I knew the camping story was bogus—Felix wouldn’t leave us right after a defeat like that, too paranoid. And I figured out he was in there when you kept ordering his favorite foods,” Sylvain said, shrugging. “Can’t get that kind of thing past the Love Master, you know. Knew in like, a day.”

“So why are you only coming now?” Felix demanded, leaning into the doorway from behind Bernadetta.

“Well…it’s been five days, and some of the Fraldarius soldiers are getting iffy about not hearing from you…” Sylvain admitted.

“Ah, damn it,” Felix muttered. “That’s right. With Father dead, all his duties…I’ve been neglecting them-”

“It’s all right,” Sylvain said. “Byleth, Dimitri, and Gilbert took them up. Seteth too. They knew you needed some time. You can ask them to fill you in.”

“…Dimitri?” Felix asked.

“Can you blame the guy for wanting to give you your time to grieve? With who _he_ is?” Sylvain asked.

“I suppose not,” Felix said. “Well. Guess I have…lordly work to do now.”

“Come on, we’ll help you out,” Bernadetta offered, grabbing her crutch.

“You, madam, are on bedrest,” Sylvain scolded. “But…I may have known you’d say that and brought Dancer to the door.”

“…Are we honestly going to take your horse to the cathedral?” Felix asked, chuckling as the black horse, hearing his name, poked his head into Bernadetta’s room. Bernadetta couldn’t stop her grin, leaning in to pet him, which Dancer happily accepted.

“Yep, then you and me can carry her up the stairs, no trouble,” Sylvain said. “Doesn’t your best buddy think of everything, Felix?”

“In regards to young ladies, apparently,” Felix said dryly as he helped Bernadetta up into the saddle and grabbed her crutch in case she needed it.

.o.o.o.

“Please tell me I am seeing things,” Seteth muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as Sylvain cheerfully led his horse, Bernadetta on its back, into the workroom.

“Turns out ol’ Dancer can totally handle stairs!” Sylvain said brightly.

“I, uh…I’m not supposed to walk…” Bernadetta offered as Sylvain helped her dismount.

Felix approached the table, “You’ve been doing my work for me.”

“You weren’t here to do it,” Byleth offered as Dimitri just went back to reading, clearly not ready to try and engage with Felix.

“I am Lord Fraldarius now. I…_I_ have work to do,” Felix said. “So. Give.”

“Some manners would be nice,” Seteth commented, reaching for a pile of papers that sat between him and Byleth. “Here. Mostly local reports from your uncle back in Faerghus, corps organization, and battlefield reports from Gronder.”

“Thank you,” Felix said, sitting next to Bernadetta.

Gilbert frowned at Sylvain. “…He wasn’t out camping, was he?”

“Sorry, Gilbert. No clue what you mean,” Sylvain said with a bright smile as he tried to steal some of Dimitri’s pile, only for his king to frown at him. “Just trying to help! I’m a helper.”

“Help Gilbert, this is all things I’m behind on,” Dimitri sighed. “I need to know this.”

“Here, take some of Felix’s,” Gilbert said, passing a stack to Sylvain, of which Bernadetta quickly stole some and set to work.

“Whoa, you get that stuff?” Sylvain asked, looking at her quickly-appearing notes in the margins.

“My…mother was a really good civil servant. She showed me a lot,” Bernadetta muttered, ducking her head as she continued writing down the presumably-important parts for Felix to look over later.

“Huh,” Byleth said, looking impressed. “Explains your good notetaking.”

“So, uh, where’s Dedue?” Sylvain asked Dimitri.

“Sewing. A lot of the Church soldiers are from the south and not used to how cold it is around Fhirdiad this time of year,” Dimitri said.

“Oh. Well. Good thing we saved all those pelts,” Sylvain said.

“Sylvain. Papers,” Felix reminded him.

“Right, right.”

.o.o.o.

After helping Bernadetta back to her room, Sylvain and Felix went for a walk.

“Thanks for the help…well. Attempted help,” Felix said, sending Sylvain a smile to let him know the barb wasn’t supposed to be too sharp.

“How was I to know Bernadetta came from a dedicated civil servant of a mother?” Sylvain asked. “All I usually know about her home life is you, Ingrid, and Lysithea plotting violent revenge on her dad!”

“Please, Bernadetta wasn’t the only one showing you up in there,” Felix chuckled. “Still. Thank you. And…sorry for not telling you where I was hiding.”

“Eh, I’m not _that_ mad. It did work,” Sylvain admitted. “Still, the legendarily stoic Felix Hugo Fraldarius, hiding out in a _lady’s_ _bedroom_…for _days_…”

“_Sylvain_,” Felix snarled.

“Well, what _would_ people say?” Sylvain asked dramatically.

“That clearly you’re a terrible influence and how sad for my old man to be rolling in his grave so soon,” Felix said dryly.

“He wouldn’t blame me,” Sylvain said, pouting exaggeratedly.

“Yeah. He just thought you were ‘acting out and would grow out of it.’ _Jeez_ he was too nice,” Felix muttered.

“Yeah, he could be sometimes,” Sylvain admitted. “But some of us needed that nice, just like we need your brutal honesty.”

Felix snorted, “Thanks.”

“…We do need you, you know. Spines and all,” Sylvain said. “Even if you’re sad, we need you.”

“Thanks, Sylvain. Now come on, if I haven’t been around, I know you’ve been slacking off,” Felix said, grabbing his arm and heading for the training grounds.

“Wait, let’s not get carried away here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix: Can't let anyone know I have feelings! I know--to the Bernie Cave!


End file.
